Mukesh Ambani Adds $16.5 Billion as India's Billionaires Experience Mixed Fortunes in 2025
India's 2025 billionaire rankings revealed significant wealth disparities, with Mukesh Ambani leading gains by adding $16.5 billion driven by Reliance Industries' 30% stock surge. Lakshmi Mittal and Sunil Mittal followed with $12 billion and $6 billion increases respectively, while Gautam Adani recovered $5.9 billion post-SEBI clearance. However, technology sector leaders faced headwinds, with Shiv Nadar losing $4 billion and Azim Premji declining $3 billion amid heavy FII selling in IT stocks.
*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.
India's billionaire landscape in 2025 presented a tale of contrasting fortunes, with wealth surging at the top while some established business leaders faced significant declines. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the year marked sharp divergences across sectors, with telecom and steel magnates leading gains while technology veterans experienced notable setbacks.
Top Wealth Gainers Lead the Surge
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, dominated the wealth creation charts by adding $16.50 billion to his net worth in 2025. This substantial increase coincided with Reliance Industries posting its strongest stock performance since 2020, with shares climbing nearly 30%. The rally was driven by multiple factors including higher refining margins, telecom tariff hikes, resilient retail performance, and anticipated value-unlocking catalysts.
| Billionaire | Company/Group | Wealth Added | Total Net Worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mukesh Ambani | Reliance Industries | $16.50 billion | Not specified |
| Lakshmi Mittal | ArcelorMittal | $12.00 billion | $31.00 billion |
| Sunil Mittal | Bharti Enterprises | $6.00 billion | $29.00 billion |
| Gautam Adani | Adani Group | $5.90 billion | $84.00 billion |
| Kumar Mangalam Birla | Aditya Birla Group | $4.00 billion | $22.00 billion |
Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman of global steel major ArcelorMittal and the world's second-largest steelmaker, followed with nearly $12 billion in wealth gains, bringing his total net worth to $31 billion. Currently ranked as the 70th richest person globally, Mittal's fortune benefited from steel sector dynamics throughout the year.
Telecom and Diversified Conglomerates Show Strength
Sunil Mittal, founder of Bharti Enterprises which owns telecom operator Airtel, experienced a significant $6 billion increase in net worth to $29 billion. Airtel's stock performance was particularly strong, gaining 31% year-to-date, while the company reported robust financial results with an 89% year-on-year jump in consolidated Q2 net profit to ₹6,792.00 crore.
Gautam Adani, founder of the Adani Group, added $5.9 billion to his fortune, taking his net worth to $84 billion and maintaining his position as India's second-richest individual. The wealth recovery was significantly supported by market regulator SEBI's clearance in the Hindenburg case, which helped restore investor confidence in Adani Group companies.
Notable Mentions Among Gainers
Other prominent wealth creators included Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, whose net worth grew by $4 billion to reach $22 billion. Uday Kotak, founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank, added over $2 billion to his fortune, bringing his net worth to $16 billion and securing his position among the top 10 richest Indians.
The gainers' list also featured:
- Vikram Lal, founder of two-wheeler major Eicher Motors
- Nusli Wadia of the Wadia Group, which owns FMCG heavyweight Britannia Industries
- Rahul Bhatia, co-founder of IndiGo, India's largest airline by market share
- Samir Mehta, chairman of the Torrent Group, with a net worth of $7 billion
Technology Sector Faces Headwinds
The technology sector experienced significant challenges, with several prominent billionaires facing wealth erosion. Shiv Nadar, founder of IT major HCL Tech, topped the decline list with his net worth falling by nearly $4 billion from a total of $39 billion. This decline reflected heavy foreign institutional investor selling in IT stocks, with HCL Tech shares dropping 15% in 2025.
| Billionaire | Company | Wealth Declined | Current Net Worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiv Nadar | HCL Tech | $4.00 billion | $39.00 billion |
| Dilip Shanghvi | Sun Pharmaceuticals | $4.00 billion | $25.50 billion |
| K P Singh | DLF | $3.38 billion | $14.00 billion |
| Azim Premji | Wipro | $3.00 billion | $28.00 billion |
| Ravi Jaipuria | Varun Beverages | Not specified | $13.00 billion |
Azim Premji, technology veteran and founder chairman of Wipro, saw his net worth fall by $3 billion to $28 billion. Wipro's stock performance reflected broader IT sector challenges, slipping 12% since the start of the year. Premji had transitioned from executive chairman to founder chairman in 2019, handing over executive responsibilities to his son Rishad Premji.
Real Estate and Pharma Sectors Also Affected
Beyond technology, other sectors also witnessed wealth declines. K P Singh, founder of real estate major DLF, experienced a $3.38 billion decrease in net worth to $14 billion, with DLF shares falling 17% during the year. The real estate sector's performance weighed significantly on his overall wealth position.
Dilip Shanghvi, managing director of Sun Pharmaceuticals, faced a decline of over $4 billion, bringing his net worth to $25.50 billion. Ravi Jaipuria, chairperson of Varun Beverages, also featured among the wealth decliners with his net worth reaching $13 billion, according to Bloomberg data.
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