Top 10 Richest Indians: Billionaires in India 2022
India is renowned for being home to several immensely wealthy families and individuals who have gained global recognition. With the third largest number of rich individuals after the US and China ,India’s top 100 richest people saw a collective increase of $25 billion in their wealth ,reaching a total of $800 billion in 2022. StartupTalky has meticulously compiled a comprehensive list of India’s wealthiest individuals for the year 2022, basing their net worth on data from their respective Forbes profiles.
Richest Indians: Billionaires in India
Gautam Shantilal Adani
Gautam Adani, an Indian billionaire industrialist ,holds the top position on the list of India’s richest individuals in 2022. As the chairman and founder of the Adani Group ,an Ahmedabad-based conglomerate ,he is actively involved in port development and operations across India. Additionally ,Gautam Adani serves as the president of the Adani Foundation ,which focuses on nurturing communities through initiatives in education, healthcare, sustainable livelihood, and rural infrastructure development.
Established in 1988 ,the Adani Group is a Conglomerate with diversified business interests in resources, Logistics ,energy ,agriculture ,Defence ,and Aerospace sectors. Gautam Adani ,the founder ,holds significant Stakes in various entities within the group, including a 66% stake in Adani Ports & SEZ Limited, a 75% stake in Adani Enterprises, a 73% stake in Adani Power ,and a 75% stake in Adani Transmission. Notably ,in 2017 ,India Today Magazine ranked Gautam Adani as the 4th most Powerful Person in India.
Born on June 24, 1962, into a Bania family in Ahmedabad, Gujarat ,Gautam Adani pursued his schooling at Seth CN Vidyalaya in Ahmedabad. He attended Gujarat University but dropped out during his B.Com studies. Notably, the Adani Group’s recent venture into Australia, after a nine-year wait ,is anticipated to yield significant windfalls for the billionaire.
Founder – Adani Group
Net Worth – $150 Billion
Industry – Diversified
Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh Ambani ,an Indian billionaire businessman ,holds the second position on the 2022 list. He serves as the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which is primarily engaged in refining, petrochemicals ,and activities in the oil and gas sector. Mukesh Ambani’s business ventures extend across various sectors ,solidifying his influence and net worth in India’s growing economy. Notably, Reliance Retail, offering a wide range of products ,and Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., revolutionizing the telecom sector, are among his notable ventures. Additionally ,the Ambani family owns the IPL franchise, Mumbai Indians.
As of May 2019 ,Mukesh Ambani ranked 13th on the list of the world’s richest individuals. Holding around 50% stake in Reliance Industries ,he surpassed Jack Ma ,founder of Alibaba Group ,and became Asia’s richest person with a net worth of $44.3 billion in July 2018. Ambani often makes headlines for notable business deals ,like Saudi Arabia-based Aramco’s $15 billion investment for a 20% stake in RIL and the 100% acquisition of Hamleys through Reliance Brands ,a subsidiary of Reliance Industries.
Mukesh Ambani ,the oldest son of Dhirubhai Ambani ,has a younger brother, Anil Ambani, whose challenges are widely known. Born on 19 April 1957 in Aden ,Yemen ,Mukesh was raised in Mumbai. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology and is an MBA dropout from Stanford University. Mukesh enjoys Bollywood movies and watches three films per week ,believing in the value of escapism in life.
Chairman – Reliance Industries
Net Worth – $88 Billion
Industry – Diversified
Radhakishan Damani
Radhakishan Damani is the founder of DMart, a successful chain of supermarkets with over 90 stores across India, making it the third largest in the industry. He holds a 65.2% stake in Avenue Supermarts, the parent company of DMart, and his investment firm, Bright Star Investments, owns an additional 16% stake.
Radhakishan Damani, also known as Mr. White, is admired for his simple lifestyle and profound thinking. Apart from being the founder of DMart, he is also a renowned stock investor, broker, and trader, known for his sharp investment skills and strategic decisions.
Born in 1945 into a Marwari family in Bikaner, Rajasthan, Damani began pursuing a bachelor’s degree in commerce but decided to drop out after completing the first year.
Founder – DMart
Net Worth – $27.6 Billion
Industry – Retail, Investments
Cyrus Poonawala
“Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2” stands as a Bollywood comedy horror film, skillfully directed by Anees Bazmee. The engaging screenplay has been penned by Aakash Kaushik and Farhad Samji. The movie is brought to life through the joint production efforts of Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar, representing T-Series Films, and Murad Khetani and Anjum Khetani, associated with Cine1 Studios.
Cyrus Poonawalla, a self-made Indian tycoon, founded the Poonawalla Group. Despite his family’s background in horse breeding, his passion for medicine drove him to establish the Serum Institute of India, now one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturing and biotech companies.
Chairman – Poonawalla Group
Net worth – $21.5 Billion
Industry – Healthcare
Shiv Nadar
Shiv Nadar, the founder and Chairman Emeritus of HCL ,is renowned as an influential industrialist and philanthropist. Through the Shiv Nadar Foundation ,he has devoted over $1 billion to philanthropic causes. In the Forbes list of richest individuals in India (2022) ,he holds the 5th position.
In 1976, Shiv Nadar founded HCL. He received the prestigious Padma Bhushan ,India’s third-highest civilian award ,in 2008. The University of Madras awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2007. In 2011, Forbes recognized him as one of the 48 Heroes of Philanthropy in the Asia Pacific region.
Shiv Nadar ,born on July 14 ,1945 ,hails from Tamil Nadu and now resides in New Delhi. He holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Coimbatore. Among his friends ,Nadar is fondly known as “Magus,” which means ‘wizard’ in Persian.
Founder – HCL
Net worth – $21.4 Billion
Industry – Software Services
Savitri Jindal
Savitri Jindal is the Chairperson Emeritus of the Jindal Group, a renowned conglomerate in steel, power, mining, and oil and gas sectors. Following her husband OP Jindal’s passing in 2005, she assumed leadership and significantly boosted the company’s revenue, making it four times larger. Jindal Group, especially Jindal Steels, is widely recognized in the manufacturing industry across India.
Savitri Jindal holds the title of the richest woman in India and was ranked as the 453rd richest person globally in 2016. Additionally ,she is recognized as the seventh-richest mother worldwide. In the past, she served as a Minister in the Haryana Government and was a member of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, representing the Hisar constituency.
Savitri Jindal was born in Tinsukia,Assam ,and currently resides in Hisar, Haryana. She holds a diploma degree in Education. Her son, Naveen, has garnered significant attention for his achievements as a businessman. Savitri and Om Prakash Jindal have nine children together.
Chairperson – O.P. Jindal Group
Net Worth – $16.4 Billion
Industry – Metals and Mining
Dilip Shanghvi
Dilip Sanghvi is the founder of Sun Pharmaceuticals, a leading company in pharmaceutical formulations and APIs, operating mainly in India and the USA. He began the company in Vapi with a modest capital of Rs. 10,000 in 1982. Today, Sun Pharma is the largest pharmaceutical company in India and the fifth largest globally, with its drugs highly sought after in major markets like India, the USA, and Japan.
In 2016, Dilip Sanghvi received the prestigious Padma Shri award. He serves as a trustee for the Rhodes scholarship program at Oxford University. Additionally, the Indian government appointed him to the RBI’s 21-member central board committee.
Born on October 1, 1955, in Amreli, Gujarat, Dilip Sanghvi completed his B.Com from the University of Calcutta. He attended J. J. Ajmera High School for his schooling and Bhawanipur Education Society College for graduation. Dilip Sanghvi is widely recognized as the wealthiest businessman in the drug and pharmaceutical industry.
Founder – Sun Pharmaceuticals
Net Worth – $15.5 Billion
Industry – Healthcare
Hinduja Family
The Hinduja Group, founded by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, is a prominent Indian business with a significant global presence. Currently, it is led by his sons Shrichand, Gopichand, Prakash, and Ashok. Despite being of Indian origin, the Hindujas have achieved remarkable success internationally. The company’s headquarters are based in London, which contributes to the Hinduja Group being among the wealthiest companies in Britain.
Ownership – Hinduja Group
Net Worth – $15.2 Billion
Industry – Diversified
Kumar Managalam Birla
Kumar Birla is an esteemed Indian industrialist , serving as the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group. Besides his business pursuits, he is actively involved in education. Kumar holds the position of chancellor at Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) and chairs prestigious institutions like IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad. Additionally ,he leads the Rhodes India Scholarship Committee for Oxford University and is an honorary fellow of the London Business School , contributing to the Asia Pacific Advisory Board of the institution.
At the young age of 28 ,Kumar Mangalam Birla took charge of the Birla Group following his father’s passing in 1998. Under his leadership ,the company experienced remarkable growth ,soaring from a value of $3.33 billion in 1995 to an impressive $41 billion in 2015. Kumar’s exceptional leadership earned him accolades, including the “CEO of the Year” award from the International Advertising Association ,as well as the esteemed “Business Leader Award” by the Economic Times in both 2003 and 2013.
Kumar Mangalam Birla was born on June 14 ,1967 ,in Calcutta and raised in Mumbai. He pursued a B.Com degree from HR College of Commerce and Economics ,obtained an MBA from the London Business School, and is a qualified chartered accountant from ICAI (India).
Chairman – Aditya Birla Group
Net Worth – $15 Billion
Industry – Diversified
Bajaj Family
The Bajaj Group has a diversified portfolio with ownership of over 40 companies. Bajaj Auto ,the group’s flagship company ,is renowned as the fourth largest manufacturer of Two- and Three-wheelers Globally. Additionally ,the group operates in various industries ,including home appliances ,lighting ,Iron and steel ,Insurance ,travel ,and finance.
The Bajaj Group traces its roots back to 1926 when it was founded by Jamnalal Bajaj ,a Rajasthani Marwari businessman. Today ,the family fortune is shared among descendants, including Rahul Bajaj ,the late patriarch and former chairman’s grandson. After his passing in February 2022, Rajiv Bajaj, Rahul Bajaj’s older son, has taken the helm of Bajaj Auto, while Sanjiv Bajaj, his younger son, oversees Bajaj Finserv—the family’s most significant asset.
Sanjiv Bajaj, as the Chairman and MD of Bajaj Finserv, guides the financial conglomerate within the Bajaj Group. The company achieved consolidated revenue of over Rs 58,447 crore ($7.14 billion)* and a profit after tax of Rs 4,648 crore ($568 million)* for FY2022-23. His leadership has propelled Bajaj Finserv to become a prominent diversified financial services provider in India ,offering lending ,insurance ,and wealth advisory solutions.
Sanjiv Bajaj holds the position of Chairman in various prominent companies such as Bajaj Finance ,Maharashtra Scooters, Bajaj Finserv Asset Management, and Bajaj Housing Finance, among others. His remarkable contributions to the financial services sector have earned him esteemed recognition, including being honored as AIMA’s Transformational Business Leader 2023, along with other prestigious accolades.