The richest Indian and the richest Malayali
INDIA'S elite are grappling with a tougher environment this year.
According to Forbes, the combined value of the country’s 100 richest dropped $100 billion — a steep 9% decline — bringing total wealth down to about $1 trillion.
That drop reflects multiple pressures: a weakening rupee, softening global demand, and volatility in markets tied to tech, infrastructure, and energy.
Ambani in top spot
Mukesh Ambani held onto his top spot, even after losing close to $14.5 billion in net worth. His current valuation: $105 billion. Right behind is Gautam Adani, with $92 billion in assets. In the rest of the top ten:
Savitri Jindal & family: $40.2 billion
Sunil Mittal & family: $34.2 billion
Shiv Nadar: $33.2 billion
Radhakishan Damani & family: $28.2 billion
Dilip Shanghvi & family: $26.3 billion
Bajaj family: $21.8 billion
Cyrus Poonawalla: $21.4 billion
Kumar Mangalam Birla: $20.7 billion
Sridhar Vembu (Zoho founder) also makes the cut, with $6 billion in net worth. The new list isn’t just about losses—there are fresh names and comebacks. Some fortunes rebounded, others slipped out of the rankings entirely.
Malayalis hold ground
Even as India’s ultra-rich shrink overall, Malayali names remain prominent:
Yusuffali M.A. heads them as the richest individual Malayali. He ranks 49th overall, with $5.85 billion.
The Muthoot family leads Malayali families: combined, they hold $10.4 billion, placing them 23rd on the all-India list.
Other notable Malayali figures:
Joy Alukkas (Joyalukkas) — $5.3 billion
Ravi Pillai (RP Group) — $4.1 billion
Sunny Varkey (GEMS Education) — $4.0 billion
Kris Gopalakrishnan (Infosys cofounder) — $3.7 billion
P.N.C. Menon (Sobha Group) — $3.6 billion
T.S. Kalyanaraman (Kalyan Jewellers) — $3.25 billion
These names span industries—retail, real estate, tech, education—showing how Kerala’s business class is diversified, resilient, and globally connected.
