New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Gautam Adani and his family have reclaimed the top position on the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2026, moving ahead of Mukesh Ambani and his family as India’s billionaire population reached a record 391.
According to the latest Hurun list, Adani and his family’s wealth stands at Rs 9.23 lakh crore, marking a 13% increase from the previous year.
Ambani and his family, who occupied the top spot last year, recorded a 10% decline in wealth to Rs 8.63 lakh crore. The difference between the two fortunes is around Rs 59,400 crore.
Adani Family Wealth Rises 13%
The latest ranking marks a change at the top of India’s wealth hierarchy. Adani’s rise follows a year in which his family’s wealth increased substantially, while Ambani’s wealth declined compared with the previous edition.
The list also points to a broader shift in the sectors contributing to wealth creation in India.
While established businesses in industries such as pharmaceuticals and traditional manufacturing continue to account for a significant share of India’s wealthiest individuals, newer areas are producing an increasing number of wealthy entrepreneurs.
AI, Defence And Green Energy Drive Wealth Creation
The Hurun report highlighted strong wealth growth across sectors including aerospace and defence, green energy, industrial products, metals and mining, pharmaceuticals and financial services.
Hurun India founder and chief researcher Anas Rahman Junaid said that, on a like-for-like basis, wealth in aerospace and defence increased by 69%, while green energy and industrial products grew by 31% each.
Metals and mining recorded a 30% rise, pharmaceuticals grew 25% and financial services increased 23%, according to the report.
Industrial products also added 44 new entrants, the highest among the industries tracked in the list.
Junaid attributed some of the biggest wealth gains to factors such as order books, infrastructure spending, increased manufacturing capacity and export demand.
India Now Has 391 Dollar Billionaires
The number of Indian dollar billionaires has reached a record 391, with 76 names appearing as new additions to the list.
India added 27 dollar billionaires over the past year, taking the total to 391 from 237 five years ago.
The 2026 Hurun list includes 1,810 individuals with wealth of at least Rs 1,000 crore. This represents an increase of 128 from last year and 803 compared with five years ago.
The combined wealth of these individuals is estimated at Rs 187.5 lakh crore, or approximately USD 1.96 trillion.
Their collective wealth rose 12.8% over the previous year and is equivalent to nearly half of India’s GDP, according to the Hurun India Rich List 2026.
The report’s findings also highlight the growing contribution of artificial intelligence, data centres, defence, semiconductors and renewable energy to India’s expanding wealth ecosystem.
