I don’t think it is a right kind of comparison to do. But if we have to compare, I would say that an IAS officer is definitely more powerful than Mukesh Ambani. An IAS officer is not just the representative of a state, but also a representative of the government of India. On the other hand, no matter how much money does Mukesh Ambani possess, he is just the representatives of his own group of companies.
(Courtesy: MSN.com)
In the eyes of law, Mukesh Ambani is nothing but a common man. Looking at the question from another point of view, however, we know that Ambani’s name is enough to keep authority over a large number of people –something which law cannot do.
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One more thing, Mukesh Ambani is just the leader of his private empire, while an IAS officer heads a whole district. He is not a government officer and no one has to take orders from him. It depends on people if they want to listen to Ambani or not.
If an IAS officer releases an order, the whole administration is bound to follow that without any delay or excuse. Talking from the legal perspective as well, an IAS officer has more important than the head of a private firm like Mukesh Ambani. So according to me, an IAS officer is much more powerful than Mukesh Ambani in all respects.