RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani continued to be on the top of IIFL Hurun India Richlist for ninth year in a row even while the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the economy. In fact, 627 of the richest Indians, who have a wealth of Rs 1,000 crore or more, also saw an increase in their fortunes as on 31st August 2020, according to the latest report shared by IIFL and Hurun. A total of 828 Indians featured in the list. Mukesh Ambani, who is the Chairman of India’s most valued firm Reliance Industries Ltd, has a wealth of Rs 6.58 lakh crore. His total wealth surged by 73% in the last 12 months, and propelled him to become the richest individual in Asia and fourth richest person in the world. This year, a hike in Mukesh Ambani’s wealth alone contributed more than one-fourth of the total jump in the IIFL Hurun list.
“28% of the upswing in wealth on the list has been bestowed by Mukesh Ambani, bespeaking Ambani’s meteoric success post diversifying from oil to telecom and retail,” Anas Rahman Junaid, MD and Chief Researcher, Hurun India, said on Tuesday. A further 21% of the additional wealth has been generated by the pharma industry, mainly because there has been a hike in healthcare spends and a realigned priority towards personal healthcare due to the coronavirus pandemic.
London-based Hinduja brothers, who have a joint wealth of nearly Rs 1.44 lakh crore, bagged the second position on the list, followed by HCL-Founder Shiv Nadar. Others on the top 10 richest Indians list include Gautam Adani and family, Azim Premji, and Radhakishan Damani who is the founder of Avenue Supermarts etc.
“The IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List is a barometer of the Indian economy, helping us understand which industries have gone up, innovated or gone down. The stories of these entrepreneurs tell the stories of India’s modern businesses,” Anas Rahman Junaid said, adding that the list bears testimony to India’s growth story.