Adani's Return to the Summit
Gautam Adani and his family now lead India's wealth rankings with a staggering fortune of ₹9.23 lakh crore. This marks a 13% increase in his wealth, allowing him to overtake last year's leader, Mukesh Ambani. Ambani, of Reliance Industries, is now in second
place with a wealth of ₹8.63 lakh crore, which reflects a 10% decline. The Adani Group's resurgence is powered by its diverse interests in infrastructure, including ports, energy, and logistics, with listed companies recovering strongly over the past year. Adani's lead over Ambani now stands at ₹59,400 crore, solidifying his position at the pinnacle of Indian business.
The Billionaire Boom
The headline figure of 27 new dollar billionaires highlights a significant trend of wealth creation. India now boasts a record 391 dollar billionaires in total, a substantial increase from 237 just five years ago. The broader list, which includes individuals with a net worth of ₹1,000 crore or more, expanded to 1,810 people—an addition of 128 from the previous year. The combined wealth of everyone on this list surged to ₹187.5 lakh crore ($1.96 trillion), a figure that represents nearly half of India's entire GDP. This growth is particularly notable as it occurred even while benchmark stock market indices like the Nifty 50 and Sensex saw a decline.
Meet the Top Ten
Beyond the top two, the list of India's ten wealthiest individuals reveals a mix of legacy industrialists and new-economy titans. L.N. Mittal of ArcelorMittal made a remarkable leap into the third position, with his wealth nearly doubling. He is followed by Cyrus Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India, a key figure in global healthcare. Roshni Nadar Malhotra of HCL Technologies remains the richest woman in India, holding the fifth spot. The rest of the top ten includes Kumar Mangalam Birla, Dilip Shanghvi, Azim Premji, Anil Agarwal, and a new entrant to the elite club, Samir Mehta of Torrent Pharmaceuticals.
The New Engines of Wealth
So, where is all this new wealth coming from? For the first time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been recognised as a standalone sector for wealth creation. The list features 19 entrants from the AI space, 15 of whom are new to the list, with a combined fortune of ₹3.07 lakh crore. This highlights a major shift, with entrepreneurs building businesses across data centres, semiconductors, and AI applications. Many of these new AI billionaires are based outside India, reflecting the global footprint of Indian-origin tech entrepreneurs. Traditional sectors like Industrial Products, Chemicals, and Pharmaceuticals also continued to be major contributors to the list.
Self-Made Stories and Geographic Spread
A striking takeaway from the 2026 report is the dominance of self-made entrepreneurs. A record 1,266 individuals on the list, accounting for 70% of the total, built their fortunes from scratch. This is a significant rise from 55% just five years prior, signaling a dynamic and evolving entrepreneurial landscape. Geographically, wealth remains concentrated in major urban centers. Mumbai continues to be the undisputed billionaire capital of India, home to 465 individuals on the list, followed by New Delhi with 236 and Bengaluru with 129.
