Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Hurun India Rich List 2024 has set a new benchmark, revealing an unprecedented surge in wealth among India’s wealthiest individuals. This year, the list has crossed the 1,500 mark for the first time, featuring 1,539 individuals each with a net worth exceeding Rs 1,000 crore.
The milestone reflects the extraordinary growth of wealth in the country, driven by both established and new entrepreneurs.
Leading the list is Gautam Adani and his family, whose wealth skyrocketed by 95 per cent, bringing their total to Rs 1,161,800 crore. Mukesh Ambani, who has traditionally held the top spot, now ranks second with a wealth of Rs 1,014,700 crore.
In the third place is Shiv Nadar & family of HCL Technologies, with a wealth of Rs 314,000 crore. Vaccine manufacturer Cyrus S Poonawalla and family from the Serum Institute of India holds the fourth spot, followed by Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries.
Bollywood entrants
The list also welcomed new entrants from Bollywood, including Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, and Amitabh Bachchan. Shah Rukh Khan leads among the celebrities with a net worth of Rs 7,300 crore, followed by Juhi Chawla and her family, who are valued at Rs 4,600 crore, primarily due to their ventures in entertainment and sports.
Notably, six individuals, including Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani, Shiv Nadar, Cyrus Poonawalla, Gopichand Hinduja, and Radhakishan Damani, have consistently remained in the top 10 over the past five years.
The 2024 Hurun India Rich List also highlights India’s growing billionaire population, which now stands at 334, a six-fold increase since the list’s inception 13 years ago. The cumulative wealth of those on the list has grown by 46 per cent, with average wealth increasing by 25 per cent.
Remarkable narrative
A total of 1,334 individuals saw their wealth increase or remain steady, including 272 new faces. However, 205 individuals experienced a decline in wealth, and 45 dropped off the list.
The wealth creation narrative in India is particularly remarkable, with 65 per cent of those on the list being self-made, a significant increase from 54 per cent five years ago. Moreover, 64 per cent of the new entrants this year are self-made individuals, underscoring the powerful engine of wealth creation driven by first-generation entrepreneurs, who now contribute 57 per cent of the total wealth on the list.
