The Indian Billionaires (Forbes 2008)

6 Mar

Forbes has released its List of World’s Billionaires ….

Warren Buffett the richest man in the world.Followed by Carlos Slim Helu and William Gates III.

With the year 2007’s “uthapakat”

There are 4 Indians in top 10 (the highest number from a single country), where as last year the no. was 1.

and 10 in top 100.

India has registered total 53 billionaires (Highest in Asia after Russia)

Here is list of top 10 Indian Billionaires

#1 Lakshmi Mittal

World: #4

Net Worth: $45.0 bil


Age:
57

Education:
St Xavier’s College
Calcutta, Bachelor of Arts / Science

Heads world’s largest steelmaker, $105 billion (sales) ArcelorMittal, which accounts for 10% of all crude steel production. Just delivered 580 tons to be used in construction of the World Trade Center memorial in New York. With 44% stake, is the company’s largest shareholder. Longtime resident of London is Europe’s richest resident.

#2 Mukesh Ambani

World: #5

Net Worth: $43.0 bil

Age: 50

Education: University of Bombay, Bachelor of Arts / Science
Stanford University, Master of Business Administration

Asia’s richest resident heads petrochemicals giant Reliance Industries, India’s most valuable company by market cap. His fortune is up $22.9 billion since last year, making him the world’s second biggest gainer in terms of dollars. The biggest gainer was his estranged brother Anil, who ranks 6th in the world just behind his older brother. The sons inherited their fortune from their late father, renowned industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani. But they couldn’t get along and in 2005 their mother brokered a peace settlement breaking up the family’s assets. Mukesh is using some of his money to build a 27-story home.

#3 Anil Ambani



World: #6

Net Worth: $42.0 bil

Age: 48

Education: University of Bombay, Bachelor of Arts / Science
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, Master of Business Administration

The year’s biggest gainer, Anil Ambani, is up $23.8 billion in the past year, and is closing gap with estranged brother, Mukesh, who ranks one spot ahead of him in the world at number five. The sons inherited their fortune from their late father, renowned industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani. But they couldn’t get along and in 2005 their mother brokered a peace settlement breaking up the family’s assets. A marathon runner, his biggest asset is his 65% stake in telecom venture Reliance Communications. He recently raised $3 billion from the highly anticipated initial offering of his Reliance Power, the biggest in India’s history. Despite the hype, the stock tumbled 17% immediately after its February listing. In a bid to appease investors, company’s board recently approved the issue of bonus shares. Still feuding with brother Mukesh: battling him in court over a gas-supply agreement.

#4 Kushal Pal Singh

World: #8

Net Worth: $30.0 bil

Age: 76

Education: Science graduate from Meerut College

Singh is now the world’s richest real estate baron after listing his real estate development company DLF in 2007. The offering helped triple his fortune to $30 billion this year, up from $10 billion. A former army officer, known as K.P., he joined his father-in-law’s Delhi Land & Finance in 1961. Singh later built DLF City in Gurgaon, his showpiece township on the outskirts of Delhi, by acquiring land from farmers. Over time, he transformed it into one of India’s biggest real estate developers. Group plans to raise another $1.5 billion by listing a subsidiary in Singapore. A keen golfer, he now leaves son Rajiv, daughter Pia to run operations.

#5 Shashi & Ravi Ruia

World: #43

Net Worth: $15.0 bil

Age: 62
Brothers run $5.8 billion (sales) Essar Group, with interests in
construction, shipping, power, oil and gas. Became Vodafone’s partner
in India last year in $19.9 billion deal. Own 33% of newly named
Vodafone Essar; Ravi is chair. Extended steel business into North
America with acquisitions of Minnesota Steel and Canada’s Algoma Steel.
Wedding bash for Ravi’s daughter Smiti drew 4,000 guests, including
family friend Richard Branson.

#6 Azim Premji

World: #60

Net Worth: $12.7 bil

Age: 62

Education: Stanford University, Bachelor of Arts / Science

After father’s sudden death Premji, then 21, took over family’s cooking
fat cooking oil company. Has since transformed Wipro into $3.5 billion
(sales) technology services giant. Stock of Wipro, which gets 80% of
its sales overseas, hit lately by appreciating rupee. Unfazed, acquired
outsourcing firm Infocrossing; bought Southeast Asian personal care
products outfit Unza; opened software development center in Mexico and
outsourcing center in the Philippines. Son Rishad, Harvard Business
School grad, started at Wipro last July, setting off speculation about
succession plans.

#7 Sunil Mittal & family

World: #64

Net Worth: $11.8 bil

Age: 50

Education: Punjab University, Bachelor of Arts / Science

Derives fortune from Bharti Airtel, which he cofounded with two
brothers and built into country’s largest mobile phone operator; now
has 60 million customers. Also has interests in life insurance with
Axa; fruits, vegetables with Del Monte Pacific and the Rothschild
family. Wholesale cash-and-carry venture with Wal-Mart still to get off
the ground. Plans to launch direct-to-home satellite television
services. Mittal is currently president of CII, an influential industry
lobby.


#8 Kumar Birla

World: #76

Net Worth: $10.2 bil

Age: 40

Education: University of Bombay, Bachelor of Arts / Science

London Business School, Master of Business Administration

Inherited commodities conglomerate Aditya Birla Group from late father
13 years ago. Expanded into financial services, telecom, retail. Last
year acquired North American aluminum maker Novelis for over $6 billion
and listed telecom arm Idea Cellular; now in court battling former
partner Tata Group. Birla bought Mumbai school.


#9 Ramesh Chandra

World: #86

Net Worth: $9.6 bil


Age:
68

Education: Indian Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Arts / Science

University of SouthHampton, Master of Science

Structural engineer moved into real estate in 1985 to build
middle-class homes. His publicly traded Unitech, run by his two sons,
is building a 350-acre community of luxury homes in Delhi suburb with
Greg Norman signature golf course. Partnering with Marriot Hospitality
on a chain of hotels and with Indonesia’s Salim group for townships in
eastern India. Recently got prized national license to launch mobile
phone services.

#10 Gautam Adani

World: #91

Net Worth: $9.3 bil


Age:
45

Education: Drop Out

College dropout, spurned father’s textile trading business; imported
scarce plastic polymers, then moved into commodity exports. Listed
Adani in 1994. Diversified into infrastructure 1998, building Mundra
Port, one of first private-sector ports, on western coast; listed it
last November. Yoga fanatic.

Sources 1 . 2 . 3 . 4

26 Responses to “The Indian Billionaires (Forbes 2008)”

  1. Susan Kishner March 6, 2008 at 1:23 pm #

    I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.

    Susan Kishner

  2. Forbes Billionaire 2008 List March 6, 2008 at 8:21 pm #

    Its get to see so many Indian business owners on this list!

  3. mythalez March 7, 2008 at 9:09 am #

    #9 did his masters in structural engineering at University of Southampton (its a single word!)

    thats where I am studying right now 😛

  4. Ankit March 7, 2008 at 11:04 am #

    owww… a typo …

    thanks for the correction …

    n hope to c u in this list some day .. 🙂

  5. Karan March 7, 2008 at 2:32 pm #

    Jee Rama 😀

  6. AK SRIVASTAVA March 7, 2008 at 3:50 pm #

    It gives the pleasure, but not to be proud. The gap between RICH & POOR is widening.

    I feel, there should be a SURVEY for INDIAN POLITICIANS too. They may certainly win the race in all the Discipline THE RICHNESS / THE CORRUPTION / THE BLACKMONEY / THE PRETEND / THE CUNNINGNESS / THE SHREWDNESS etc ……….. etc ……….. Rather they may break all the records.

  7. Tammie Morris March 10, 2008 at 3:36 pm #

    Good job have a nice day.

  8. Tammie Morris March 10, 2008 at 7:32 pm #

    Mr.Anil Ambani I would Love to see a picture of your 27 story house. Have a nice day.

  9. hellocady March 11, 2008 at 12:50 am #

    Sometimes I wish I was a billionaire. Then I remember that billionaires look old and uptight. 🙂

  10. Joseph Kibue March 27, 2008 at 3:04 pm #

    Mr Gautam Adani, keep up to your ambitions and hope you will sail all through to being among the top 4 billionaires in the planet .At that age and you managed top 100 within the next few years you will b at the top.

  11. ankith chopra June 17, 2008 at 2:31 pm #

    WE AND OUR COUNTRY FEELS PROUD AS THEY WORKED WITH HONESTY AND SINCERITY ……IT SHOULD BE INCREASED IN COMING FUTURE FOR OUR ANDOUR COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT

  12. Manikandan.S October 24, 2008 at 2:38 pm #

    intresting site i visited today,an oppurtunity to know more about our billionaires

    • resorts in hyderabad April 25, 2016 at 11:00 am #

      weekend resorts in Hyderabad are most fun and joy for day outing with friends and families

  13. Shivangi October 27, 2008 at 5:21 am #

    PLEASE SEND LIST OF PEOPLE WILLING TO DONATE LIBERALLY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH EXPERIMENTS AT PALAMAU DIVISION OF JHARKHAND STATE

  14. ivanklugman January 20, 2009 at 9:50 pm #

    They should call me for thier aircraft needs

  15. Ramesh Babu January 30, 2009 at 7:08 am #

    Being Indian i feel proud for their achievements and they should come together once in a year and think about the poor people who live in india and they should do something which will help the betterment of poor people lives to reduce the gap between rich and poor and bring the country number 1 position for better standard of living. Business people/ industrialists should help the poor people because politicians are there to help rich & businessmen to grow.

  16. Viinod Jojarey March 24, 2009 at 10:32 am #

    Time has come for new publish of Forbes list, let’s see, to whom all recession has effected and what not?

    Desperately waiting for new list…

    Think Big, dream big is a slogan of Ambani’s…
    And I am a follower…

    Will I be able to see myself sometime, with these great peoples??

    every thing about nothing…

  17. Shamsudheen May 12, 2009 at 7:03 am #

    Very informative. Let our children know that most of the wealth of our country is with these people.

  18. Knight 99 July 27, 2009 at 7:26 pm #

    With all this obvious wealth – why are there so many slums in India with millions upon millions in abject poverty? Why does India collect any foreign assitance to combat this poverty?

  19. ark1992 June 27, 2010 at 9:38 am #

    btw did u miss out mr RATAN TATA…………i think u did!!

    • @nks June 28, 2010 at 8:57 am #

      well he might own one of biggest company of India, his stake in the company is less than these ppl … and his salary is only 1 Rs.

  20. pragatiresorts1 December 22, 2010 at 5:53 am #

    Pragati Resorts is the fastest growing Business in Hyderabad Real Estate including Resorts in hyderabad, Plots. Plots for sale in hyderabad. Properties in Hyderabad at affordable prices. Hyderabad real estate

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. The Indian Billionaires (Forbes 2008) - March 6, 2008

    […] info wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptStructural engineer moved into real estate in 1985 to build middle-class homes. His publicly traded Unitech, run by his two sons, is building a 350-acre community of luxury homes in Delhi suburb with Greg Norman signature golf course. … […]

  2. » The Indian Billionaires (Forbes 2008) - March 6, 2008

    […] info@darlinghomes.com (Darling Homes) wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptmiddle-class homes. His publicly traded Unitech, run by his two sons, is building a 350-acre community of luxury homes in Delhi suburb with Greg Norman signature golf course. Partnering with Marriot Hospitality … […]

  3. Forbes: Four Indians among the top ten billionaires | Prakash Advani's Blog - May 11, 2008

    […] Read the complete article. […]

  4. From Mahatma Gandhi to Tata Nano! « THINK! - February 28, 2009

    […] their mouth is and spur the creative wave that India has not seen in a very long time. But these ‘Indian Billionaires’ are incapable of thinking about the future of Indian industry or even their own company in creative […]

Leave a comment