India has emerged as a global powerhouse for wealth creation, ranking third worldwide in billionaire population after the US and China. This comprehensive guide profiles the ten richest person in India as of February 2026, based on Forbes real-time billionaire data. From Mukesh Ambani’s dominance in telecom and retail to Gautam Adani’s infrastructure empire, discover the richest person in India, their net worth, business empires, and the industries driving their extraordinary wealth.
India’s economic transformation over the past three decades has created unprecedented wealth, establishing the country as home to some of the world’s most influential business leaders. With more billionaires than any nation except the United States and China, India’s richest individuals control vast business empires spanning telecommunications, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, technology, and retail. Understanding who the richest person in India is and examining the ten richest person in India provides insight into the sectors driving India’s economic growth and investment opportunities.
List of Top Richest Person
| RANK | NAME | NET WORTH | INDUSTRY |
| 1 | Mukesh Ambani | $103.4 B | Diversified |
| 2 | Gautam Adani & family | $67 B | Diversified |
| 3 | Savitri Jindal & family | $38.6 B | Metals & Mining |
| 4 | Shiv Nadar | $35 B | Technology |
| 5 | Lakshmi Mittal | $27.8 B | Metals & Mining |
| 6 | Dilip Shanghvi | $25.2 B | Healthcare |
| 7 | Kumar Birla | $21.5 B | Diversified |
| 8 | Cyrus Poonawalla | $19.4 B | Healthcare |
| 9 | Radhakishan Damani | $16.1 B | Fashion & Retail |
| 10 | Uday Kotak | $14.3 B | Finance & Investments |
The Ten Richest Person in India: Complete Rankings
Based on Forbes real-time billionaire data as of February 5, 2026, here are the top 10 wealthiest individuals in India:
1. Mukesh Ambani – The Richest Person in India
Net Worth: $103.4 billion
Industry: Diversified (Telecom, Petrochemicals, Retail, Energy)
Mukesh Ambani stands as the richest person in India and Asia’s wealthiest individual. As Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited, he oversees India’s largest public company by market capitalization. Reliance dominates multiple sectors through Jio (telecommunications), extensive petrochemical operations, India’s largest retail chain, and ambitious green energy initiatives. A chemical engineer from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, Ambani has transformed his father Dhirubhai Ambani’s legacy into a modern conglomerate with massive investments in digital infrastructure and consumer goods.
2. Gautam Adani & Family
Net Worth: $67 billion
Industry: Diversified (Ports, Energy, Airports, Mining)
Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of Adani Group, controls one of India’s most extensive infrastructure conglomerates. His empire spans ports, renewable and thermal power generation, airports, mining, city gas distribution, defense, aerospace, and agribusiness. Named among Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2022, Adani built his fortune from humble beginnings as a diamond sorter in Mumbai to creating a global infrastructure powerhouse valued over $100 billion.
3. Savitri Jindal & Family
Net Worth: $38.6 billion
Industry: Metals & Mining
Savitri Jindal holds the distinction of being India’s richest woman. Her wealth stems from inheriting the O.P. Jindal Group after her husband Om Prakash Jindal’s death in 2005. The conglomerate operates in steel, cement, infrastructure, and power. As emeritus chairman, she guides one of India’s most successful family-run business empires while also serving as President of Maharaja Agrasen Medical College in Agroha.
4. Shiv Nadar
Net Worth: $35 billion
Industry: Technology
Shiv Nadar pioneered India’s IT revolution as founder of HCL Technologies. Starting HCL with five partners in a small Delhi apartment during the 1970s, Nadar launched India’s first indigenous personal computer (HCL 8C) in 1978. Now serving as Chairman Emeritus and Strategic Advisor, he’s also recognized among India’s top philanthropists through the Shiv Nadar Foundation’s extensive educational initiatives since the mid-1990s.
5. Lakshmi Mittal
Net Worth: $27.8 billion
Industry: Metals & Mining
Lakshmi Mittal leads the global steel industry as executive chairman of ArcelorMittal, the world’s second-largest steelmaking company. He also chairs Aperam, a major stainless steel manufacturer. Once ranked the sixth-richest person globally by Forbes in 2011, Mittal has been a Goldman Sachs board member since 2008, maintaining significant influence in international business and finance.
6. Dilip Shanghvi
Net Worth: $25.2 billion
Industry: Healthcare (Pharmaceuticals)
Dilip Shanghvi founded Sun Pharmaceuticals, India’s largest pharmaceutical company. A Padma Shri recipient in 2016, he serves as Chairman and Managing Director of Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company. Through strategic acquisitions, including the landmark $4 billion purchase of Ranbaxy Laboratories in 2014 and the $576 million acquisition of US-based Concert Pharmaceuticals in 2023, Shanghvi has established Sun Pharma’s global dominance.
7. Kumar Birla
Net Worth: $21.5 billion
Industry: Diversified
Kumar Birla chairs the Aditya Birla Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates operating across 40 countries. Under his leadership since 2005, the group’s annual turnover surged from $2 billion in 1995 to $66 billion by March 2024. The conglomerate’s diverse portfolio includes metals, cement, fashion, retail, financial services, textiles, chemicals, telecom, and renewable energy. Birla received the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honor, in 2023.
8. Cyrus Poonawalla
Net Worth: $19.4 billion
Industry: Healthcare (Biotechnology)
Cyrus Poonawalla chairs the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, a diversified conglomerate spanning pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, finance, renewable energy, hospitality, real estate, and aviation. The Serum Institute of India, the group’s crown jewel, is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, producing over 1 billion doses annually for diseases including measles, polio, tetanus, and COVID-19. The group also includes Poonawalla Fincorp, a leading NBFC in India.
9. Radhakishan Damani
Net Worth: $16.1 billion
Industry: Fashion & Retail
Known as India’s retail king, Radhakishan Damani founded and chairs DMart, the country’s popular value retail chain. Opening his first store in 2002, Damani built DMart into a retail powerhouse offering household goods, personal care products, and food items. As HDFC Bank’s largest individual shareholder when it went public in 1995, he also holds significant stakes in VST Industries and India Cements.
10. Uday Kotak
Net Worth: $14.3 billion
Industry: Finance & Investments
Uday Kotak, Asia’s richest banker, serves as non-executive director of Kotak Mahindra Bank. He transformed Kotak Mahindra Finance Limited into a full commercial bank after receiving RBI licensing in 2003. The bank offers comprehensive banking products and financial services for corporate and retail customers. After stepping down as CEO in 2023, Kotak received the Padma Bhushan in 2026 for his contributions to trade and industry.
Investment Opportunities: Learning from India’s Richest
Understanding the industries that created the ten richest person in India reveals significant investment opportunities. The concentration of wealth across telecommunications, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, technology, and retail demonstrates these sectors’ growth potential. For investors looking to build wealth, studying how the richest person in India allocated capital provides valuable lessons in long-term value creation.
Many of these billionaires built their fortunes through publicly traded companies, offering retail investors opportunities to participate in their success. Companies like Reliance Industries, Adani Group entities, HCL Technologies, and Sun Pharmaceuticals are accessible through Indian stock exchanges. For those interested in global diversification, platforms like Appreciate Wealth enable Indian investors to access international markets and build portfolios inspired by global wealth creation strategies.
Conclusion
The ten richest person in India—led by Mukesh Ambani as the richest person in India—represent the country’s economic transformation and entrepreneurial spirit. From technology pioneers like Shiv Nadar to pharmaceutical innovators like Dilip Shanghvi, infrastructure titans like Gautam Adani, and retail visionaries like Radhakishan Damani, these billionaires demonstrate the wealth-creation potential across diverse sectors. Their collective net worth exceeds $400 billion, underscoring India’s position as a global economic powerhouse and attractive investment destination.
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FAQs on Richest Person in India
Mukesh Ambani is the richest person in India with a net worth of $103.4 billion as of February 2026. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited and also ranks as Asia’s wealthiest individual.
The ten richest person in India are: (1) Mukesh Ambani ($103.4B), (2) Gautam Adani ($67B), (3) Savitri Jindal & Family ($38.6B), (4) Shiv Nadar ($35B), (5) Lakshmi Mittal ($27.8B), (6) Dilip Shanghvi ($25.2B), (7) Kumar Birla ($21.5B), (8) Cyrus Poonawalla ($19.4B), (9) Radhakishan Damani ($16.1B), and (10) Uday Kotak ($14.3B).
Savitri Jindal is the richest woman in India with a net worth of $38.6 billion. She is the emeritus chairman of the O.P. Jindal Group, which operates in steel, cement, infrastructure, and power sectors.
The ten richest person in India built their wealth across diversified conglomerates, technology, pharmaceuticals, metals and mining, retail, and finance. Telecommunications, infrastructure, and healthcare are particularly prominent sectors among India’s billionaires.
India ranks third in the world for billionaire population, behind only the United States and China. This demonstrates India’s rapid economic growth and wealth creation over the past three decades.
Mukesh Ambani, the richest person in India, is also Asia’s wealthiest individual with a net worth of $103.4 billion as of February 2026.
Yes, many companies controlled by the ten richest person in India are publicly traded on Indian stock exchanges. Examples include Reliance Industries, various Adani Group companies, HCL Technologies, Sun Pharmaceuticals, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, making them accessible to retail investors.
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