Billionaire Gautam Adani with a net worth of `11.6 lakh crore is the richest Indian. He has elbowed out Mukesh Ambani to clinch the top spot in 2024, according to the Hurun India Rich list released on Thursday. Moreover, a new billionaire is being added every five days this year as compared to last year. Interestingly, 2024 had the best for those people whose zodiac sign is cancer, followed by Gemini and Leo. The number of billionaire in India has reached 334 this year, rising by 29 per cent as compared to 2023.
Cancer witnessed an astonishing 84 per cent increase in cumulative wealth. Gemini follows closely, with a notable 77 per cent increase in wealth. In third place is Leo, with a 68 per cent rise in cumulative wealth.
Similarly, Sagittarius, with a 64 per cent wealth increase, and Libra with 61 per cent are also among the top five. Capricorn saw a 58 per cent increase in cumulative wealth followed by Pisces with a 46 per cent increase. Aquarius and Virgo share the eighth spot, each with a 39 per cent increase in wealth. Aries, Scorpio, and Taurus occupy the final spots, with wealth increases of 34 per cent, 33 per cent, and 32 per cent, respectively.
Overall, Cancer leads in terms of wealth growth, Gemini tops the list in total contribution, representing 9.9 per cent of the richest individuals on the list.
The youngest on the 2024 Hurun India rich list is Kaivalya Vohra (21) of Zepto and his co-founder Aadit Palicha, 22, is the second youngest in the list. For the first time, actor Shah Rukh Khan made his debut on the list owing to the rising value of his holdings in the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, with a fortune estimated at Rs 7,300 crore, which was much higher than business partner Juhi Chawla with Rs 4,600 crore networth secured second place among the entertainers.
In 2023's report, Adani's wealth declined by 57 per cent to Rs 4.74 lakh crore, and Ambani was way ahead with a fortune of Rs 8.08 lakh crore. It can be noted that Adani's networth declined sharply following various allegations levelled by US-based short seller Hindenburg Research. The conglomerate has denied all the allegations.
In the 2014 edition, Hurun had pegged Adani's fortunes at Rs 44,000 crore, which made him the 10th richest Indian then. Shiv Nadar and family of HCL gained one spot to be the third richest with a networth of Rs 3.14 lakh crore, while Serum Institute of India's Cyrus Poonawalla slipped by one notch to the fourth position with a networth of Rs 2.89 lakh crore in 2024. Sun Pharmaceuticals' Dilip Shanghvi continued his ascent on the list, securing the fifth richest tag against sixth last year with a networth of Rs 2.50 lakh crore.
Radha Vembu of Zoho was the wealthiest among self-made women with a fortune of Rs 47,500 crore, while Zepto's co-founders Kaivalya Vohra and Aadit Palicha, who are in their early 20s, were the youngest on the list with a networth of Rs 3,600 crore and Rs 4,300 crore, respectively.
The list, which captures Indians having a networth of over Rs 1,000 crore, grew by 220 individuals to 1,539 people in 2024. The cumulative wealth has seen a 46 per cent jump in the year.
Interestingly, 16 professionals also made it to the list with Arista Networks' chief executive Jayshree Ullal being the wealthiest at Rs 32,100 crore and followed by D-mart chief executive Ignatius Navil Noronha at Rs 6,900 crore, according to the list.Gera Developments' Kumar Pritamdas Gera's wealth grew the fastest at 566 per cent in the 2024 list, while Ambani and Adani had the biggest growth by quantum, the list said.
Meanwhile, the Congress attacked the Centre, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "billionaire raj" is more unequal than even the British Raj and it is also the cornerstone of the government's economic policy-making. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a media report which cited the Hurun India Rich List to state that India created a new billionaire every five days throughout 2023. "India has had one billionaire for every five days in 2023, and the non-biological Prime Minister's closest friend is the foremost among them all," Ramesh said on X. "Modi's Billionaire Raj is more unequal than even the British Raj. But it is also the cornerstone of the government's economic policy-making," he alleged. This is why, at a time when countries across the world are coalescing around the idea of a global billionaire tax, the Indian government has been conspicuously silent and continues to remain blind to rapidly increasing economic inequalities, Ramesh said.
