Gautam Adani Surpasses Mukesh Ambani as India’s Richest Individual

Gautam Adani and his family have claimed the top spot in the 2024 Hurun India Rich List with a remarkable net worth of ₹11.6 lakh crore. This achievement marks a significant recovery from the previous year, where Adani’s wealth had decreased dramatically due to allegations made by Hindenburg Research.

In contrast, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, secured the second position with a net worth of ₹10.14 lakh crore. Despite the rise in his wealth by 25%, Ambani remains behind Adani in the latest rankings.

The Hurun India Rich List reported that the total number of billionaires in India increased to 334, reflecting a 29% rise compared to the previous year. This change indicates that India is emerging as a significant center for wealth creation in Asia, particularly in light of a decline in the number of billionaires in China.

Shiv Nadar and his family from HCL Technologies ranked third on the list with a net worth of ₹3.14 lakh crore. Meanwhile, Cyrus Poonawalla, associated with the Serum Institute of India, slipped to fourth place with ₹2.89 lakh crore, and Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharmaceuticals maintained his fifth position with a wealth of ₹2.50 lakh crore.

The youngest individuals on the list are Kaivalya Vohra and Aadit Palicha, co-founders of Zepto, who are 21 and 22 years old, respectively. Additionally, actor Shah Rukh Khan made his debut on the list with an estimated fortune of ₹7,300 crore, surpassing fellow entertainer Juhi Chawla.

The Hurun report indicates that the wealth of 16 professionals is also highlighted, with Arista Networks‘ CEO Jayshree Ullal as the wealthiest among them at ₹32,100 crore. The report notes that Kumar Pritamdas Gera of Gera Developments saw the fastest growth in wealth, increasing by 566%.