Gautam Adani has returned to the top of the Hurun India Rich List, published on September 24, after his family’s wealth rose 13 percent to 9.23 lakh crore rupees, or about $96 billion. The result put him ahead of Mukesh Ambani, whose fortune fell 10 percent to 8.63 lakh crore rupees, roughly $90 billion. The gap between the two came to about 59,400 crore rupees, a swing from a year earlier when Ambani held the lead.
The compiler recorded 391 dollar billionaires in India, 27 more than a year earlier. In total, 1,810 people held assets of at least 1,000 crore rupees. Their combined wealth grew 12.8 percent from the previous year to 187.5 lakh crore rupees, equal to around $1.96 trillion, as strong equity markets lifted valuations across much of the list and pulled new names into the rankings.
The steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal and his family posted the largest gain in percentage terms, adding 93 percent to reach 3.39 lakh crore rupees and moving into third place. Anil Agarwal, the founder of Vedanta, entered the top ten after his family’s wealth climbed 87 percent, another sign of how commodity and industrial fortunes rebounded over the period covered by the list. Both men lead sprawling groups that span energy, metals, ports and infrastructure across the country.
Artificial intelligence featured heavily among the newcomers. The list counted 19 entrepreneurs tied to AI, holding 3.07 lakh crore rupees between them, of whom 15 appeared for the first time. A broader deep-technology group covering AI, aerospace, defence and semiconductors numbered 48 people worth 4.26 lakh crore rupees, with 30 fresh entries, a marker of where new wealth is being created.
Rich lists offer a snapshot of paper wealth rather than cash, and figures move with share prices. Hurun compiles its India ranking each year using a valuation cut-off, so the standings can change quickly when markets move. Even so, the report pointed to a widening base of large fortunes in India and a shift toward technology and industry, with the number of very wealthy individuals continuing to climb despite uneven conditions across sectors. The ranking is among the most closely followed measures of wealth in the country.
