There is no doubt that India has produced notable billionaires even as family businesses have passed down from generation to generation.
For the eighth consecutive year, Reliance Industries Ltd. Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian with the staggering net worth of Rs 3,80,700 crore. No one in India has even come close to his net worth. It is because of the huge success of his telecom company Reliance Jio, he is enjoying a staggering wealth.
He is also in the top 10 richest people in the world and the only Indian to be featured in the list. Previously, he was the 20th richest person in the world but now he has made giant strides to get into the Top 10 list.
Mukesh Ambani is the owner of the second-most expensive home in the world, which is, Antilia, ranks after the Buckingham Palace. Antilia, the Ambani residence, is worth Rs 1,40,000,000,000 (14,000 crore rupees or USD 2 billion).
It is located in one of the most expensive residential areas in India, Mumbai’s Altamount Road. The property rates here are a staggering Rs 80,000 to Rs 85,000 per square foot. Antilia has ice-cream parlour, a mega-temple and a private theatre that can accommodate 50 people and a salon as well.
The 62-year-old Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani was born into the super-rich Ambani family. His father Dhirubhai Ambani was the one who found Reliance Industries in 1966 as a small textile manufacturer and over the years, the company multiplied into businesses across sectors, including textiles, telecommunications, and energy.
Mukhesh Ambani, who was named the richest man in Asia by Forbes in 2018, has invested in education, social, rural development, and healthcare through Reliance Foundation which is chaired by his wife Nita Ambani. Established in the year 2010, it undertakes activities like urban renewal, and art and culture.
Last year, when Kerala was hit by flash flood, he donated a sum of Rs 71 crore in cash and supplies. His Contribution to social cause: Rs 437 crore
“A record breaking 953 individuals have a minimum wealth of ₹1,000 crore — up by 15 per cent or 122 individuals compared to last year,” the IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2019 added.
The number was 831 in 2018 and it should be noted that the number of individuals in the list has increased by 181 per cent since Hurun India Rich List 2016.
“The combined wealth of top 25 in the list equates to 10 per cent of India’s GDP and that of 953 accounts for 27 per cent,” it said.
SP Hinduja and family take the second spot with wealth worth ₹1.86-lakh crore, closely followed by Chairman of Wipro Ltd. Azim Premji with a ₹1.17-lakh crore net worth.
74-year-old tech magnate Azim Hashim Premji is the Chairman of IT firm Wipro and was listed among the 100 most successful people for two years by TIME magazine.
In the year 2013, he signed ‘The Giving Pledge; to donate at least half of his wealth, a campaign started by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
So far, he has donated $21 billion to Azim Premji Foundation, which is an education-focused non-profit he founded in 2001. His contribution to social cause is Rs 113 crore.
LN Mittal and family, Chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal is ranked fourth with ₹1.07-lakh crore of wealth. Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Ports and SEZ was at the fifth place with a staggering wealth of ₹94,500 crore.
Meanwhile, Billionaire banker Uday Kotak comes sixth with a wealth of Rs 94,100 crore and was followed by Cyrus S Poonawalla at 7th position with assets worth Rs 88,800 crore.
Cyrus Pallonji Mistry has been listed at the eighth spot with a wealth of Rs 76,800 crore followed by Shapoor Pallonji at ninth spot with Rs 76,800 crore. Dilip Shanghvi takes the 10th spot among top 10 Indians with total valuation worth Rs 71,500 crore.
Mumbai alone accounts for the majority of people in the rich list with 246 individuals.