The combined wealth of India’s billionaires is nearing ₹ 100 lakh crore. While the nation had just 7 billionaires just six years ago, the numbers have ballooned to 191 this year, with as many as 26 new billionaires joining the ranks in just the last one year.
Their kitties have also ballooned, giving the word ‘disproportionate’ a bad name. The combined wealth of Indians now stands at No. 3 globally, just behind the US which has about ₹ 700 lakh crore, followed by China with ₹ 1.34 lakh crore.
India has emerged as a leading global wealth hub, with 85,698 High Net-Worth Individuals, placing it 4th globally, behind US, China, and Japan: Knight Frank Global Wealth report. pic.twitter.com/pXbTf5VSE6
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Those poorer, and by that, meaning those with assets exceeding, in comparison, a measly 10 million dollars (nearly ₹ 90 crore), are also increasing in the flanks, estimated at nearly 86,000 and expected to go up to nearly 94,000 in three years.
Real estate consultant Knight Frank’s flagship Wealth Report for 2025 is out, from which these numbers have been taken, and it has some numbers that will warm the hearts of those on the right side of the dollar divide. According to the report, this rise highlights the country’s strong long-term economic growth, increasing investment opportunities and evolving luxury market, positioning India as a key player in global wealth creation.
Globally, too, it’s a rich man’s world, with the number of high-net-worth individuals rising 4.4% compared to last year — from 2.24 lakh last year to 2.34 lakh. Trump or not, the US takes the case, with the country alone accounting for nearly 40% of the world’s super-rich (HNWIs are those with assets of 10 million dollars, that is about 90 crore rupees, or more), at more than 9 lakh individuals.
The US is followed by China with 4.7 lakh, Japan with nearly 65,000, after which India comes with its 85,698 richie richs.
The report notes that the billionaire landscape is now more global, with new hubs emerging outside the traditional powerhouses. Manufacturing has produced more new billionaires than tech over the past 10 years. Half are in China, reflecting the nation’s industrial strength. Despite recent challenges, China also leads in the creation of new tech billionaires over the same period.
“India is witnessing an unprecedented rise in high-net-worth individuals, driven by entrepreneurial dynamism, global integration, and emerging industries,” said Knight Frank India chairman & managing director Shishir Baijal. “This expansion is not just in scale but also in the evolving investment preferences of India’s elite, who are diversifying across asset classes, from real estate to global equities. In the decade ahead, India’s influence in global wealth creation will only strengthen.”
