Gautam Adani becomes India's biggest wealth gainer: Hurun Global Rich List

Gautam Adani, the Chairman of the Adani Group, is India's largest wealthier in absolute terms, with a stunning increase of almost ₹1 lakh crore in net worth, according to the 'Hurun Global Rich List 2025' that was issued on Thursday.

His wealth increased by 13% to ₹8.4 lakh crore, making him India's second richest and the 18th richest person in the world.

While that, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani saw his wealth fall off the global top 10 rich list. His net worth declined by ₹1 lakh crore to ₹8.6 lakh crore, primarily owing to higher levels of debt. Nevertheless, Ambani remained Asia's richest man.

At 62, Adani, who started as a commodities trader, heads a vast conglomerate with interests in renewable energy, ports, airports, mines, power plants, media, and cement. He briefly was Asia's richest man in 2024.

In the Indian rankings, Roshni Nadar and family of HCL took the fifth spot among the richest women in the world, the first Indian woman to make it to the global top 10 with a net worth of ₹3.5 lakh crore.

Sun Pharmaceutical (TADAWUL: 2070) founder Dilip Shanghvi was fourth in India with ₹2.5 lakh crore, followed by Wipro (NSE: WIPR) founder Azim Premji at fifth place with ₹2.2 lakh crore.

Lower down the pecking order, Aditya Birla Group's Kumar Mangalam Birla and Serum Institute of India's Cyrus S. Poonawalla were joint at ₹2 lakh crore. Bajaj India's Nirav Bajaj came eighth with ₹1.6 lakh crore, before RJ Corp's Ravi Jaipuria and D-Mart promoter Radhakishan Damani, who were also tied with a net worth of ₹1.4 lakh crore.

The 'Hurun Global Rich List 2025' followed 3,442 billionaires across 71 nations, an increase from 3,278 in the previous year. The number of billionaires increased by 5%, while their combined wealth grew by 13%.

Worldwide, Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk regained the position as the richest person on earth, his fourth occasion as leader over the last five years.