Though Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani retained his position as the richest Indian for the ninth consecutive year, yoga guru Ramdev’s close aide Patanjali Ayurved’s Acharya Balkrishna made a surprise entry into the Forbes’ richest 100-club at the 48th position with his company’s total value at $2.5 billion. Balkrishna is among the six newcomers on the list.
“The childhood friend of politically well-connected yoga guru Baba Ramdev makes debut thanks to his 97% holding in fast-growing consumer goods outfit Patanjali Ayurved, which they co-founded in 2006,” Forbes said.
“With revenue of $780 million, Patanjali sells everything from herbal toothpastes and cosmetics to noodles and jams. Though Ramdev holds no shares in Patanjali, he is the company’s de facto brand ambassador,” it added.