The year 2025 reshaped India’s billionaire landscape, drawing a clear line between those who surged ahead and those who lost ground. A handful of business
leaders strengthened their financial standing, driven by stock market rallies and renewed investor optimism, while several established names saw their fortunes shrink. Mukesh Ambani emerged as the standout performer, and Gautam Adani benefited from a turnaround in market sentiment after SEBI's clearance. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, emerged as the biggest wealth gainer, adding a massive $16.5 billion to his net worth. This leap came as Reliance’s shares jumped nearly 30 per cent, fueled by strong refining margins, higher telecom tariffs, and resilient retail performance. Analysts also anticipate further value-unlocking catalysts that could sustain. Lakshmi Mittal, the head of global steel giant ArcelorMittal, followed Ambani closely with a $12 billion increase, bringing his fortune to $31 billion. Mittal’s growth highlights the continued strength of the steel industry amid global demand fluctuations. Telecom And Conglomerates Shine Telecom leaders also saw significant gains. Sunil Mittal of Bharti Enterprises experienced a $6 billion rise in net worth, reaching $29 billion. Airtel’s 31 per cent stock increase and an 89 per cent jump in consolidated Q2 net profit to Rs 6,792 crore underpinned this growth. Meanwhile, Gautam Adani of the Adani Group added $5.9 billion to his fortune, now totalling $84 billion, buoyed by restored investor confidence following the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI) clearance in the Hindenburg case. Kumar Mangalam Birla of Aditya Birla Group and Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra Bank also recorded notable gains, with $4 billion and over $2 billion added to their net worths, respectively. Other high performers included Vikram Lal (Eicher Motors), Nusli Wadia (Wadia Group), Rahul Bhatia (IndiGo), and Samir Mehta (Torrent Group), as per the Bloomberg report. Declines Hit Technology And Real Estate Giants Not all billionaires enjoyed a prosperous year. Shiv Nadar of HCL Tech topped the list of wealth decliners, losing nearly $4 billion amid a 15 per cent drop in HCL shares. Azim Premji of Wipro also saw a $3 billion decrease, reflecting a 12 per cent stock slump. Real estate magnate K P Singh experienced a $3.38 billion decline as DLF shares fell 17 per cent, the report said. Other significant declines were recorded by Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharmaceuticals ($4 billion drop) and Ravi Jaipuria of Varun Beverages (net worth down to $13 billion). These shifts underscore the volatility of markets and how even top-tier billionaires face challenges.
