Two names dominate the answer to richest man in india networth, and they swap places depending on the list and the day. As of 2025, Mukesh Ambani led most rankings, while Gautam Adani came a close second, and both are in the top twenty of the world.
The usual order
The Hurun India Rich List published in late 2025 placed Mukesh Ambani and family first, at about nine and a half lakh crore rupees, and Gautam Adani and family second, at around eight lakh crore. Forbes and Bloomberg, which track individuals in dollars, have shown Ambani near ninety to a hundred billion dollars in 2025 and Adani somewhat lower, although the gap has changed over time. In some months in 2024, Adani ranked first on Indian lists after a surge in the value of his group’s companies.
Who they are
Mukesh Ambani
He is chairman of Reliance Industries, which spans oil refining and petrochemicals, the telecom giant Jio, retail and new energy. Much of his wealth is a stake in listed Reliance shares, and the value moves with the stock market.
Gautam Adani
He heads the Adani Group, a conglomerate in ports, power, airports, mining and other sectors. In early 2023 a short-seller report accused the group of accounting and stock manipulation, which the group denied, and the company shares fell sharply, cutting his net worth by tens of billions of dollars for a time. They recovered in later periods. In late 2024, US prosecutors announced charges related to a separate matter involving bribery allegations, which the group has denied. I mention it because it affects share prices, and thus the rankings.
Why richest man in india networth is a moving target
- Share prices. Both fortunes depend on stocks that move daily.
- Family versus individual. Hurun counts families, while Forbes and Bloomberg list individuals.
- Currency. Lists in rupees and dollars shift with the exchange rate.
- Methods. Each ranking values private holdings and promoter stakes differently.
Others in the top group
Beyond the top two, India’s richest people include figures such as Shiv Nadar of HCL Technologies, Savitri Jindal and family of the Jindal steel group, Cyrus Poonawalla of the Serum Institute, and Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharma. The order changes between lists, but these names usually appear in the top ten.
India in the global picture
India has grown to be among the countries with the largest number of billionaires, behind the United States and China according to the Hurun Global Rich List. The growth reflects strong stock markets and the success of technology, pharmaceutical and industrial companies.
How to check the latest ranking
- Read the latest Hurun India Rich List for families.
- Check the Forbes India or Bloomberg lists for individuals.
- Write down the date and the source, since all three move.
For the full picture on the top name, see our article on Mukesh Ambani’s net worth in crores, and for how to convert dollars to rupees, our guide to converting net worth into crore. The Forbes India list is at forbesindia.com.
What the list does not tell you
A list of rich people measures the value of assets on a date. It does not show cash, income or tax paid. When a stock rises, the owner is richer on paper, but nothing has been spent or received. That is worth remembering when headlines announce that someone has overtaken someone else.
Why Indian billionaire counts keep rising
Analysts point to several reasons for the growth in India’s rich lists. Stock markets have performed strongly over the past decade, a large and young population supports consumer and technology companies, and many family-run groups have expanded into new sectors such as green energy and data centres. At the same time, wealth remains concentrated, and economists regularly debate how the gains are shared. Whatever your view, the lists are a useful, if imperfect, measure of how fast the largest fortunes are changing.
Short answer
For richest man in india networth, the answer in 2025 was Mukesh Ambani at roughly ninety to a hundred billion dollars, with Gautam Adani in second place, but the order can change quickly. Check the live lists for today’s ranking.
Figures are reported estimates and change daily. This is not financial advice.
