When the 2026 Forbes Billionaires List was released, India once again saw several powerful business names on the global ranking. Mukesh Ambani remains the richest Indian on the list, one woman continues to hold a key position among the world’s wealthiest, that is Savitri Jindal.
At rank 51 globally, Savitri Jindal and her family have an estimated net worth of $39.1 billion, making her the richest woman in India in 2026. At 75, she stands as the powerful matriarch of the OP Jindal Group, a sprawling industrial conglomerate with interests in steel, power, cement, mining and infrastructure.
From homemaker to business matriarch
Savitri Jindal’s journey into the world of big business was unexpected. Born in 1950, she spent most of her early life as a homemaker, raising her children and supporting her husband Om Prakash Jindal, the founder of the OP Jindal Group. Her marriage itself came under unusual circumstances. After the death of OP Jindal’s first wife, who was also Savitri’s sister, her father arranged their marriage when she was just 15 years old.
For decades, the industrial empire continued to grow under OP Jindal, who founded the group in 1952 and later served as a power minister in Haryana. But tragedy struck in 2005, when he died in a helicopter crash in northern India.
That incident changed Savitri Jindal’s life forever. Suddenly, the former homemaker found herself at the helm of one of India’s largest industrial groups.
Taking charge of a steel empire
After her husband’s death, Savitri Jindal became the chairperson of the OP Jindal Group. The business had already been structured so that each of the four sons managed different parts of the conglomerate.
Her sons including Prithvi Jindal, Sajjan Jindal, Ratan Jindal, and Naveen Jindal oversee various companies within the group. Mumbai-based Sajjan Jindal manages major businesses such as JSW Steel, JSW Cement, and JSW Paints.
In recent years he has pushed the group further into new sectors, including electric vehicles through a joint venture with MG Motor. Meanwhile, Naveen Jindal runs Jindal Steel & Power, one of the group’s biggest companies by market value. The business empire also includes companies such as JSW Energy, Jindal Stainless, Jindal Saw, JSW Holdings, and JSW Infrastructure.
A family empire that spans industries
Today, the OP Jindal Group is involved in multiple sectors including steel production, mining, power generation, cement manufacturing, industrial gases and port infrastructure.
The group continues to expand through public listings and global acquisitions. In October 2023, JSW Infrastructure went public, becoming one of India’s major port infrastructure companies. The group’s cement arm, JSW Cement, also went public in August 2025.
Although her sons run individual businesses, Savitri Jindal remains the symbolic head of the family empire. Much of her wealth comes from the shareholding that once belonged to her late husband. Those holdings are spread across various companies within the group.
Apart from business, Savitri Jindal also stepped into politics after her husband’s death.
She inherited his political constituency in Haryana and went on to serve as a member of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. She has also been associated with different political parties over the years, including the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Her public work has focused on education, healthcare and social welfare, continuing many of the initiatives started by her husband.
A legacy built on family and industry
Regardless of overseeing one of India’s largest industrial families, Savitri Jindal maintains a low public profile. The Jindal family compound in New Delhi shows the close-knit nature of the family. The estate includes four separate bungalows, one for each son and his family all connected by a common kitchen.