Mumbai: There has been an 18 per cent rise in the number of billionaires in India – up from 169 last year to 200.
The combined wealth of these super wealthy celebrities is $954 billion, a 41 per cent increase.
The list, released by Forbes, is dominated by men with Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani occupying the top two places.
Significantly, there are 17 women among India’s 200 billionaires as per the ‘Forbes World Billionaire List 2024’.
Standing tallest among India’s wealthiest woman businesspersons yet again is 84-year-old Savitri Jindal.
The chairperson emerita of O P Jindal Group, with a net worth of $35.5 billion, is the fourth richest Indian according to the list.
Savitri, who oversees a conglomerate of steel, power, mining, oil and gas, assumed control of the business in 2005 following her husband’s death and scripted a remarkable growth story.
Her four sons — Prithviraj, Sajjan, Ratan and Naveen – currently run the four divisions of her business.
Here are the 4 other wealthiest Indian women:
Rekha Jhunjhunwala
The second-richest woman in India with a net worth of $8.5 billion, Rekha is the widow of renowned investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. She inherited a large and valuable stock portfolio from her late husband Rakesh, who was known as India’s Warren Buffett. Rakesh invested in the new low-cost airline Akasa Air, which launched in August 2022, shortly before he died.
Vinod Rai Gupta
The third-richest woman in India, Vinod Rai has a net worth of $5 billion, thanks to Havells India — a trailblazer in the field of electrical products. Her son Anil Rai Gupta is the CEO whose leadership has led to the company’s incredible growth and diversification. But it’s Vinod Rai who is the heart and soul of Havells India, and the guardian of its legacy. Vinod’s journey from a supporting role to a leading figure in the success story of Havells is a testament to her business acumen.
Renuka Jagtiani
Renuka is the chairperson and CEO of Landmark Group, a multinational consumer conglomerate based in Dubai. Renuka, with a net worth of $4.8 billion, is the newest addition to India’s women billionaires’ group. Her story is no less remarkable as she has taken the group to new heights despite the death of her husband and founder Micky Jagtiani. Landmark Group provides employment to over 50,000 people.
Smita Crishna-Godrej
Smita Crishna-Godrej is the woman behind the Godrej empire, a conglomerate in consumer goods with a revenue of $5.7 billion. Smita Crishna herself holds a significant share in the family’s assets and has a net worth of $3.8 billion.
The other Indian female billionaires are — Radha Vembu ($3.4 B), Anu Aga ($3.3 B), Leena Tewari ($3.2 B), Falguni Nayar ($2.9 B), Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw ($2.7 B), Mrudula Parekh ($2.1 B), Saroj Rani Gupta ($1.6 B), Renu Munjal ($1.6 B), Sara George Muthoot ($1.3 B), Alpana Dangi ($1.2 B), Subbamma Jasti ($1.1 B), Kalpana Parekh ($1.1 B).
