Gautam Adani overtakes Mukesh Ambani again to become India’s richest person | Hurun 2026 list

Hurun 2026 list:  Gautam Adani and his family have once again taken the top position among India’s richest families, overtaking Mukesh Ambani and his family, according to the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2026.

Adani’s family wealth increased by 13% to Rs 9.23 lakh crore, while Ambani’s wealth declined by 10% to Rs 8.63 lakh crore. The difference between the two fortunes now stands at around Rs 59,400 crore.

The latest ranking also shows a sharp rise in the number of wealthy Indians, with the country now having a record 391 dollar billionaires.

Adani regains top spot

Adani had moved ahead of Ambani in earlier editions of the ranking before losing the top position again. The latest figures put him back at No. 1.

The Hurun report noted that the two business families have repeatedly exchanged positions over the past five years. Adani’s wealth has also seen significant swings during this period, reaching Rs 11.62 lakh crore in 2024, before falling and then recovering to the latest figure.

Ambani’s wealth, meanwhile, had climbed steadily over the past decade, reaching Rs 10.15 lakh crore in 2024, but has declined over the last two editions of the list.

LN Mittal makes a big jump

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal and his family recorded one of the biggest gains among the country's wealthiest business families. Their wealth nearly doubled, rising 93% to Rs 3.39 lakh crore, putting them in third place. The increase came amid stronger European steel prices and protection measures supporting the steel industry.

Cyrus Poonawalla and family, known for the Serum Institute of India, remained in fourth position with wealth of Rs 3.03 lakh crore, up 23%.

Roshni Nadar remains richest Indian woman

Roshni Nadar Malhotra and family moved to fifth place with wealth of Rs 2.79 lakh crore, despite slipping two positions in the overall ranking. She continues to be the richest Indian woman listed by Hurun.

Kumar Mangalam Birla and family ranked sixth with Rs 2.69 lakh crore, followed by Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries with Rs 2.65 lakh crore.

Azim Premji and family stood eighth with Rs 2.63 lakh crore after recording a 19% rise in wealth.

Agarwal, Mehta enter Top 10

Anil Agarwal and family entered the top 10 at ninth position after their wealth rose 87% to Rs 2.08 lakh crore.

Samir Mehta and family completed the top 10 with wealth of Rs 1.89 lakh crore, marking a 52% increase. The rise was linked to developments at Torrent Pharmaceuticals, including the completion of the JB Chemicals merger.

Hurun's long-term data shows that both Agarwal and Mehta have climbed substantially over the past decade. Their fortunes have increased about 12 times and 7.6 times respectively since 2017.

India now has 391 dollar billionaires

The 2026 Hurun list shows a continued expansion of India's wealthy population. The number of people with wealth of at least Rs 1,000 crore increased to 1,810, up by 128 from the previous year. Their combined wealth rose 12.8% to Rs 187.5 lakh crore, equivalent to around $1.96 trillion.

India also added 27 new dollar billionaires, taking the total to a record 391. Five years ago, the figure stood at 237.

Technology creates a new group of wealthy entrepreneurs

Technology is increasingly changing the composition of India's rich list. For the first time, artificial intelligence was listed as a separate sector in the ranking. Nineteen people linked to the sector entered the list, with their combined wealth estimated at Rs 3.07 lakh crore.

Bengaluru-based QpiAi founder Nagendra Nagaraja became the first person from the quantum-computing sector to appear on the list, with wealth estimated at Rs 1,700 crore.

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Entrepreneurs made up about 70% of the list, with 1,266 self-made individuals. That compares with 55% five years ago.

Industrial products had the highest number of entrants at 166, followed by chemicals with 142 and pharmaceuticals with 136.

Mumbai leads as India's wealth hub

Mumbai continues to have the largest concentration of wealthy individuals in the country, with 465 people on the list. New Delhi followed with 236, while Bengaluru had 129.

Women accounted for 131 entries, including 33 dollar billionaires. Roshni Nadar Malhotra and her family remained at the top among India's wealthiest women.

Young entrepreneurs and fastest wealth creators

Some of the biggest percentage gains came from younger and newer entrepreneurs.

Aditya Kumar Halwasiya of Cupid recorded the fastest wealth growth, with his fortune increasing 859% to Rs 18,800 crore. Kaivalya Vohra, co-founder of quick-commerce company Zepto, was the youngest person on the list at 23, followed by fellow co-founder Aadit Palicha, aged 24.

The Hurun report also said fortunes of listed companies and individuals increased at an average rate equivalent to around Rs 5,833 crore a day during the period covered by the 2026 ranking.