A few weeks ago, I was a digital spectator of the Mantena wedding in Udaipur. My Instagram feed was flooded with breathtaking wedding pictures.
Designer outfits like it was the Met Gala, world-renowned artists performing, decor that cost as much as homes in Mumbai. Weddings have always been a grand affair in India, but this felt different.
Did you know India’s wedding industry hit ₹4.74 lakh crore in 2024 alone! That’s more than the GDP of 30 countries.
So if, like me, when you look at these events and think: “This is money.” You’re wrong. That’s only the surface.
If you look between layers, India’s wealthiest are accumulating an asset far more valuable than gold, real estate or stocks. As 2025 comes to an end, India’s richest are buying optionality, influence, social capital and narrative control.
And the part that matters? It’s not out of reach for the rest of us.
The data first: India’s rich are getting richer, faster
| Indicator | Data (Latest Available) |
| Number of Indians with net worth $10 million+ | 85,698 individuals |
| Global Rank in UHNW Individuals | 3rd in the world |
| New Billionaires Added in 2025 | 13 |
| Total Billionaire Count (2025) | 358 |
| Share of National Wealth Held by Top 1% | 40%+ |
| Projected New Affluent Households by 2030 | 46.7 million |
The numbers are clear: wealth concentration is accelerating, and the wealthy are playing a different game from the middle class.
While the average Indian like me is taught to invest in gold, buy a house, and retire comfortably, because that’s what our parents did. The ultra-rich are investing in intangible assets that give leverage.
So what are they actually buying?
1. Social capital: The real currency
Over the last decade, gold has appreciated annually by an average of 13%.
Social capital may not have a number, but it multiplies each year.
The Ambanis didn’t just host a wedding. It was a global networking summit disguised as a cultural celebration.
Everyone who is someone was in one place for days. Quiet deals were made, partnerships were formed, and opportunities were exchanged invisibly.
This is the new “wealth portfolio”: access to relationships and rooms money alone can’t buy.
2. Optionality: The most underestimated asset
The difference between someone rich and me is our mindset. We get money, we buy more gold, maybe a home, a shiny new designer accessory. The rich buy the ability to choose.
Optionality for them looks like:
- The freedom to wait out a market downturn
- The flexibility to fund a new business
- The time to change careers
- The comfort of taking a break without financial damage
- The liquidity to invest when everyone else is fearful
Data shows that ultra-high-net-worth Indians keep 15–25% of their wealth in liquid or near-liquid assets. This is their “opportunity capital”.
We keep it at 0–3%. Yes, it is true we have home loans, education EMIs, insurance premiums, and guilt-driven gold purchases.
But hear me out. It’s more than just situational, for us too.
3. Narrative control: Perception as an asset class
Look again at any high-profile Indian wedding. Behind the glamour lies something strategic: Reputation building.
In 2025, the narrative these families built about who they are, what they represent and how they’re perceived has tangible economic value.
- It influences business dealings.
- It affects valuations
- It attracts investors
- It builds trust faster than advertising.
So yes, the wealthy are spending heavily on digital presence, philanthropy and visibility.
4. Legacy: The long-term investment
I once thought legacy meant trust funds and vacation homes. I was wrong. Legacy is what Dhirubhai Ambani built. Not the empire but the continuity.
India’s richest have quietly expanded investments into:
- Global education for children
- Endowments and philanthropic initiatives
- Cross-border asset allocation
- Professional succession planning
And here’s the real shift:
- Although Indian family businesses contribute to 79% of India’s GDP, HSBC Global Private Banking reports that 45% of business families do not expect the next generation to take over.
- While only 7% of heirs feel obligated to run the family business
The old rule of “beta sambhaal lega” is no longer the default strategy. They’re not building for the next five years, but the next five decades.
What this shift means for you (even if you’re not rich)
Now if you’re wondering what does this even mean for me? I’m never going to host a ₹400-crore wedding. Nor can I leave behind a legacy like Ambani’s.
True. But we can borrow the exact same principles and apply them at a smaller, more intentional scale.
Here’s how:
1. Build optionality through liquidity
Action: Start a small monthly contribution (₹2,000–₹5,000) into a liquid fund or sweep-in FD.
Liquidity gives us choices to invest in dips, switch careers, or handle crises without breaking long-term goals.
Pro Tip: Target 10–20% liquidity in your personal portfolio.
2. Invest in social capital consistently
Action: Join one professional community each year. Attend two meet-ups. Maintain quarterly check-ins.
Social capital multiplies opportunities.
Pro Tip: Relationships compound just like SIPs.
3. Build reputation quietly
Action: Post one learning or insight a week on LinkedIn.
Visibility attracts opportunities that money alone cannot.
Pro Tip: You don’t need to be an expert. You need consistency.
4. Build skills that expand income
Action: Choose one skill and invest 30 minutes daily honing it.
When you grow your skillset, you create a new stream of income to fall on.
Pro Tip: In your 20s and 30s, skills beat SIP returns.
5. Protect your downside first
Before assets, build buffers.
- Term cover: 10–15× income
- Health cover: ₹10–20 lakh
- Emergency fund: 4–6 months
- Zero-cost credit cards
Pro Tip: It won’t let one bad event wipe you out.
6. Build micro-legacy
Action: Create one asset per year.
A blog, small business, or mentorship habit.
Pro Tip: Legacy is a mindset, not your bank balance.
The bottom Line: The rich aren’t buying Gold. They’re buying leverage.
Your everyday headlines cover billion-dollar weddings, couture lehengas, and private performances. True. But the real story hides beneath the sparkle.
The top 1% Indians aren’t hoarding gold like us. They’re compounding leverage.
This is the wake-up call for the rest of us: You don’t need their money to copy their moves. And if India adds 70 million new affluent households by 2030, the question isn’t who will join them. It’s who will learn from them while there’s still time.
Now you know which one to follow.
Disclaimer:
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Please consult a qualified professional before making investment decisions.
Sneha Virmani is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience. She is an alumna of Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University (Economics & Psychology). Sneha specialises in storytelling-led content strategies and consumer education campaigns. Her work brings context and clarity, with a no-jargon approach designed to engage everyday readers.