India’s wealth landscape has seen a noticeable shift this year, with established business groups retaining their presence while newer sectors such as artificial intelligence begin to create fortunes of their own. The M3M Hurun India Rich List 2026, released on September 23, puts Gautam Adani and family back at the top, ahead of Mukesh Ambani and family. At the same time, India now has a record 391 dollar billionaires, with 27 more added over the past year.
Gautam Adani Reclaims The Top Spot
Gautam Adani and family have reclaimed the No. 1 position on the latest Hurun list. Their wealth stands at ₹9.23 lakh crore, marking a 13% increase from the previous year. Mukesh Ambani and family moved to second place with wealth of ₹8.63 lakh crore, down 10% over the same period. The difference between the two fortunes is around ₹59,400 crore, according to the list.
The latest ranking also saw a significant move from LN Mittal and family. The ArcelorMittal family climbed eight places to third, with wealth rising 93% to ₹3.39 lakh crore. The report linked the increase to stronger regional steel prices and Europe’s steel trade protection measures.
Anil Agarwal and family also moved higher, reaching ninth place with wealth of ₹2.08 lakh crore. Samir Mehta and family entered the top 10 at ₹1.89 lakh crore.
India Now Has 391 Dollar Billionaires
💰 GAUTAM ADANI BACK ON TOP! 🔥
Gautam Adani overtakes Mukesh Ambani to become Asia’s richest person 👑
Here’s the list of India’s Top 10 richest billionaires 💸#GautamAdani #MukeshAmbani #Billionaires #Hurun pic.twitter.com/OFvMGuuHWU
— Techotales (@techotales) September 24, 2026
The 2026 list covers 1,810 individuals with wealth of at least ₹1,000 crore. Their combined wealth increased 12.8% year-on-year to ₹187.5 lakh crore, or around $1.96 trillion. India’s dollar-billionaire count has now reached 391, up from 237 five years ago. The country added 27 dollar billionaires over the past year.
The broader Hurun list also expanded. It has 128 more people than last year and 803 more compared with five years ago. Interestingly, 1,266 people on the list are self-made entrepreneurs, accounting for around 70% of the total. Industrial Products had the highest number of new entrants at 44, followed by Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals.
AI Makes Its Debut As A Wealth Sector
One of the biggest changes in this year’s list is the arrival of artificial intelligence as a standalone sector. The category has 19 entrants with combined wealth of ₹3.07 lakh crore. Of these, 15 are new to the Hurun list. The 15 new AI entrants together account for ₹1.82 lakh crore in wealth, the highest wealth contribution among sectors generating new entrants.
Among the new names are Tanay Kothari and Sahaj Garg, both 28, who entered the list with ₹4,200 crore each through their AI company Wispr Flow. Other names linked to the emerging AI and technology wealth category include entrepreneurs associated with CTRL S Datacentres, Yotta, Astera Labs, Parallel Web Systems, Sarvam AI and Emergent AI.
Quantum Computing Also Enters The List
AI is not the only emerging technology featured in the 2026 rankings. Nagendra Nagaraja, founder of Bengaluru-based QpiAI, has become the first quantum-computing entrepreneur to enter the Hurun list. His wealth is estimated at ₹1,700 crore.
The development adds another technology category to a list that has traditionally been dominated by sectors such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, finance and infrastructure. The deep-tech space is also expanding, with AI, aerospace and defence, and semiconductors together accounting for 48 individuals with combined wealth of ₹4.26 lakh crore.
Mumbai Leads The City-Wise List
Mumbai continues to have the largest concentration of people on the Hurun Rich List, with 465 individuals. New Delhi follows with 236, while Bengaluru has 129. The list also includes 131 women, up from 100 last year. Roshni Nadar Malhotra and family remain India’s richest woman, with wealth of around ₹2.79 lakh crore.
The number of wealthy Indians living outside the country has also increased to 156. Of these, 90 live in the United States and 31 in the UAE.
Conclusion
The M3M Hurun India Rich List 2026 offers a snapshot of how India’s wealth landscape is changing. Gautam Adani and family have returned to the top, while Mukesh Ambani and family remain close behind. At the same time, the rise of AI and the entry of quantum computing show how newer technology businesses are becoming part of India’s wealth-creation story.
With 391 dollar billionaires and 1,810 people on the broader rich list, the latest edition also reflects the expanding number of individuals building substantial fortunes across traditional industries and emerging technologies.
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | X |
Youtube | Pinterest | Google News |
Entertales is on YouTube; click here to subscribe for the latest videos and updates.