You may have heard of the DLF conglomerate, but definitely, with great chances you may not have any idea of who Kushal Pal Singh is. Of all the billionaires in our land, it was K.P. Singh, the billionaire real estate developer, who sat 8th spot at the top, according to Forbes Richest World’s Billionaires list in 2008. He ranks as India’s 12th richest person as per the Forbes India Rich List of 2024.
K.P. Singh has constructed many earthquake-proof apartments, shopping malls, office spaces, and other leisure facilities in Gurugram. When K.P. Singh was the Chairman of DLF Limited, the company floated an IPO in 2007, which was one of the largest IPOs in India, raising about $2.24 billion. With the increase in the market capitalization of the company to more than $25.15 billion (as of December 2024), Singh and his family became one of the richest families in the world.
In this article, learn more about real estate mogul Kushal Pal Singh, including his education, career, net worth, family, awards, and more.
Kushal Pal Singh Biography
Name
Kushal Pal Singh
Born
August 15, 1931
Birthplace
Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India
Nationality
Indian
Education
Graduated in Science from Meerut College, Aeronautical Engineering from the UK
Profession
Billionaire Real Estate Developer DLF Limited CEO and Chairman of DLF Limited
Military Career
Served in the Indian Army (1951-1960)
Unit
Deccan Horse
Rank
Captain
Spouse
Indira Singh
Children
Rajiv Singh (son) Renuka Talwar (daughter) Pia Singh (daughter)
K.P. Singh was born in August 1931 in Bulandshahr, UP in a typical Tewatia Jat family. His father, Chaudhary Mukhtar Singh, was a renowned lawyer in Bulandshahr. After pursuing his science degree from Meerut College, K.P. Singh pursued aeronautical engineering in the UK and was selected into the Indian Army by the British Officers Services Selection Board. He was commissioned to join the Deccan Horse in 1951. In 1960 he joined the American Universal Electric Company and once it merged with DLF Universal Limited in 1979 he became the MD.
Kushal Pal Singh – Family
K.P. Singh was married to Indira Singh, the daughter of Raghavendra Singh, the founder of DLF Limited. Singh lost his wife, Indira Singh, to cancer in 2018. He has one son Rajiv and two daughters, Renuka and Pia together with his wife.
Rajiv later succeeded K.P. Singh as the Chairman of the DLF Group in 2020. Kavita, wife of Rajiv, became an advisor to DLF Commercial Developers Ltd. in November 2002 and was also made Advisor to DLF Universal Ltd. in 2011. They have two daughters, who are working in the company.
K.P. Singh’s elder daughter is married to G.S. Talwar, a non-executive director in the company. They have a son Rahul who is also a part of DLF India Ltd, but as a management trainee. K.P. Singh’s youngest daughter Pia is a full-time Director on the board of DLF Limited.
In 1960, K.P. Singh joined the American Universal Electric Company where he gained invaluable insights into the world of business. Post which, in 1979 he joined as joint MD as the director of DLF Universal Limited with Chaudhury Raghuvender Singh, his father-in-law. Under their joint leadership, the company became a prominent player in the real estate industry.
He played a major role when it came to shaping the future of DLF Limited. In 1970, he set his ambitious plan into action and started buying and developing property in the Gurgaon area. He envisioned Gurgaon (now Gurugram) to be a satellite city where international companies would race to set up their operations. He acquired over 3500 acres of land in the area and with his prowess in the real estate field the company transformed the city of Gurugram into an up-and-coming business hub with multiple apartments, offices, shopping malls, and leisure spaces.
In the 1990s GE became one of the biggest international corporations to lease an office space in the area which now came to be known as DLF City. With India becoming the top outsourcing destination other international brands such as IBM, American Express, British Airways, and Nestle became the tenants of DLF.
With Singh at the helm of DLF, it expanded far beyond Gurugram with its shopping malls, apartments, and hotels. In 2007, under K.P. Singh’s leadership, DLF Limited launched an initial public offering (IPO) that raised approximately INR 9,188 crore (about $2.25 billion) by selling 17.5 crore shares at INR 525 each.
Kushal Pal Singh – Controversy
In 2016, K.P. Singh was one of the high-profile names that were leaked from the Panama Papers. These comprised 11.5 million confidential documents developed by the Panamanian corporate services provider Mossack Fonseca. Singh, his wife, son, daughter Pia, and her husband Timmy Sarna were all named as those who set up offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands.
Kushal Pal Singh – Awards and Recognition
Kushal Pal Singh Receiving Padma Bhushan Award
2000: The Samman Patra Award, conferred by the Government of India for being one of the top taxpayers of the Delhi region
2008: Recognition by Forbes magazine as the richest real estate baron and 8th richest person in the world
2008: A special award conferred by NDTV, at the Indian of the Year Award Function for his contribution towards the growth of the Indian economy
October 2010: Decoration of Officer of the Order of St. Charles, conferred by Prince Albert II of Monaco for his contributions as Honorary Consul General of Monaco in Delhi for the previous two decades.
January 2010: Padma Bhushan Award, Government of India.
Delhi Ratna Award by Delhi Government, for his valuable contribution to the development of Delhi.
2011: Entrepreneur of the Year award at The Asian Awards
2024: Singh and Aparna Jain’s book Why the Heck Not? was published
Kushal Pal Singh is an Indian billionaire real estate developer and the former chairman of DLF Limited. He is currently the Chairman Emeritus of DLF.
What is Kushal Pal Singh’s education?
K.P. Singh completed his science degree from Meerut College and then pursued aeronautical engineering in the UK.
What awards has Kushal Pal Singh received?
He received the Padma Bhushan in 2010, Forbes recognition as the 8th richest person in the world in 2008, the Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2011, and more.
India is home to some insanely wealthy families and individuals well-known across the globe. India has the third largest group of rich people after the US and China. In 2022, the combined wealth of India’s 100 richest increased by $25 billion to touch $800 billion. StartupTalky has compiled an exhaustive list of the top richest people in India . Their net worth is based on the data from 2022 available on their respective Forbes profiles.
Founder – Adani Group Net Worth – $150 Billion Industry – Diversified
Gautam Adani, Founder of Adani Group | Top Richest Indians
Gautam Adani is an Indian billionaire industrialist and stands in the first position on the list of the top richest Indians in 2022. He is the chairman and founder of the Adani Group. The Adani Group is an Ahmedabad-based conglomerate involved in port development and operations in India. He is also the president of the Adani Foundation which operates to nurture communities in four chosen areas—education, healthcare, sustainable livelihood, and rural infrastructure development.
The Adani Group was formed in 1988 and has business interests in the resources, logistics, energy, agriculture, defence, and aerospace sectors. Gautam Adani holds a 66% stake in Adani Ports & SEZ Limited, a 75% stake in Adani Enterprises, a 73% stake in Adani Power, and a 75% stake in Adani Transmission. He was ranked as the 4th most powerful person in India by India Today Magazine in 2017.
Gautam Adani was born on 24 June 1962 in a Bania family in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He did his schooling at Seth CN Vidyalaya in Ahmedabad. He is a B.Com dropout from Gujarat University. The Adani group’s venture into Australia after a nine-year wait is expected to bring huge windfalls for the billionaire.
Mukesh Ambani
Chairman – Reliance Industries Net Worth – $88 Billion Industry – Diversified
Mukesh Ambani – Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries | Top Richest Indians
Mukesh Ambani is an Indian billionaire businessman and stands in the second position on this list, as of 2022. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Reliance Industries mainly deals in refining, petrochemicals, and activities in the oil and gas sector. Mukesh Ambani has diversified his reach in the Indian market through several ventures, racing ahead in his net worth and influence exerted over India’s developing economy. Reliance Retail—which offers foods, groceries, apparel, footwear, lifestyle, home improvement products, electronic goods, and farm implements—is one of his group’s recent offerings. The Ambani family is also the owner of Mumbai Indians, an IPL franchise. Mukesh Ambani also owns Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. which took the telecom sector in India by storm and toppled the monopoly of the oldest players in the domain.
He was ranked 13th on the list of the world’s richest people as of May 2019. He has a stake of approximately 50% in Reliance Industries. Ambani surpassed Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, to become Asia’s richest person with a net worth of $44.3 billion in July 2018. Mukesh Ambani is known to make headlines every now and then for the right reasons—Saudi Arabia-based Aramco buying a 20% stake in RIL for a whopping $15 billion, and him completing a 100% acquisition of Hamleys through Reliance Brands, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries.
Mukesh Ambani’s Life, Biography, and History
Mukesh is the oldest son of Dhirubhai Ambani and has a younger brother, Anil Ambani, whose downhill journey to oblivion is known to all. Mukesh Ambani was born on 19 April 1957 in Aden, Yemen and brought up in Mumbai. He graduated in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology. He is an MBA dropout from Stanford University. Mukesh is a fan of Bollywood movies and watches three movies a week. He quips, “You need some amount of escapism in life.”
Radhakishan Damani
Founder – DMart Net Worth – $27.6 Billion Industry – Retail, Investments
Radhakishan Damani, Founder of DMart | Top Richest Indians
Radhakishan Damani founded the DMart chain of supermarkets. His retail chain accounts for more than 90 stores across India and is the third biggest in the industry. He has the ownership of a 65.2% stake in Avenue Supermarts, the parent company of DMart. His investment company, Bright Star Investments, holds another 16% stake.
Radhakishan Damani is known as Mr. White for his simplistic way of life coupled with high thinking. He is also a stock investor, broker, and trader. Radhakishan is well-known for his acumen and shrewdness as an investor.
Damani was born in 1945 in a Marwari family in Bikaner, Rajasthan. He enrolled for a bachelor’s degree in commerce but dropped out after the first year.
Cyrus Poonawala
Chairman – Poonawalla Group Net worth – $21.5 Billion Industry – Healthcare
Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman of Serum Institute of India | Top Richest Indians
Cyrus Poonawalla is a self-made Indian tycoon. He is the founder of the Poonawalla Group. Cyrus comes from a family that is deeply connected with horse breeding. However, his keen interest in the field of medicine led him to create one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturing and biotech companies – Serum Institute of India.
Cyrus Poonawalla was awarded the Padma Shri for his work and contributions made in the field of medicine. He was also awarded the Life Time Achievement award by the then-Prime Minister Of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh. With a net worth of $8.3 billion, Cyrus Poonawala is the 170th richest person on earth.
Shiv Nadar
Founder – HCL Net worth – $21.4 Billion Industry – Software Services
Shiv Nadar, Founder of HCL | Top Richest Indians
Shiv Nadar is the Chairman Emeritus and founder of HCL and established the Shiv Nadar Foundation. He is a prominent industrialist and philanthropist. Nadar has committed more than $1 billion to philanthropy. He is ranked 5th in the Forbes list of richest persons in India (2022).
Nadar founded HCL in 1976. Nadar was honoured with the third highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan, by the Government of India in 2008. Madras university conferred upon Shiv Nadar an honorary doctorate degree in the year 2007. He was present in Forbes’ 48 Heroes of Philanthropy in the Asia Pacific in 2011.
Nadar was born on 14 July 1945 in Tamil Nadu. He currently lives in New Delhi. He pursued his degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Coimbatore. Nadar is called “Magus” by his friends (meaning ‘wizard’ in Persian).
Savitri Jindal
Chairperson – O.P. Jindal Group Net Worth – $16.4 Billion Industry – Metals and Mining
Savitri Jindal, Chairperson of O.P. Jindal Group | Top Richest Indians
Savitri Jindal is the Chairperson Emeritus of the Jindal group that deals with steel, power, mining, and the oil and gas domains. The Jindal group is well-known in the manufacturing industry (every Indian knows about Jindal Steels). Savitri took over the company after the death of her husband OP Jindal in 2005 who founded the Jindal Group. After taking charge as the chairperson, the revenue of the company quadrupled.
Savitri Jindal is the richest woman in India. She was the world’s 453rd richest person in 2016. She is also the world’s seventh-richest mother. Savitri was a Minister in the Haryana Government and a member of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha from Hisar constituency.
She was born in Tinsukia, Assam and presently lives in Hisar, Haryana. She holds a diploma degree in Education. Her son Naveen is constantly in the limelight for his success as a businessman. She has nine children with Om Prakash Jindal.
Dilip Shanghvi
Founder – Sun Pharmaceuticals Net Worth – $15.5 Billion Industry – Healthcare
Dilip Sanghvi, Founder of Sun Pharma | Top Richest Indians
Dilip Sanghvi is the founder of Sun Pharmaceuticals which manufactures and sells pharmaceutical formulations and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) primarily in India and the United States. He started the company in Vapi in 1982 with a capital of Rs. 10,000. Sun Pharma is the largest pharmaceutical company in India and the fifth largest in the world. Its drugs have always been in high demand with the major markets being India, the USA, and Japan.
Dilip Sanghvi was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2016. He is also a trustee of the Rhodes scholarship programme at Oxford University. He was appointed by the Indian government to the RBI’s 21-member central board committee.
Dilip Sanghvi was born on 1 October 1955, in Amreli, Gujarat. He pursued B.Com from the University of Calcutta. He did his schooling and graduated from J. J. Ajmera High School and Bhawanipur Education Society College respectively. Dilip Sanghvi is unanimously considered the richest businessman in the drug and pharma sector.
Hinduja Family
Ownership – Hinduja Group Net Worth – $15.2 Billion Industry – Diversified
Hinduja Family, Hinduja Group | Top Richest Indians
The Hinduja Group is one of the biggest Indian businesses with a strong international presence. Founded by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, the company is now run by his sons Shrichand, Gopichand, Prakash, and Ashok. Though the Hindujas are Indians, they have soaked in success while staying outside the country. The company headquarters is situated in London. This is also the reason behind the Hinduja Group featuring among the wealthiest companies in Britain.
Kumar Managalam Birla
Chairman – Aditya Birla Group Net Worth – $15 Billion Industry – Diversified
Kumar Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group | Top Richest Indians
Kumar Birla is an Indian industrialist and the chairman of the Aditya Birla group. He is an educationist as well. Kumar Birla is the chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS). He is the chairman of IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad, and the chairman of the Rhodes India Scholarship Committee for Oxford University. Kumar serves on the Asia Pacific Advisory Board of the London Business School and is an honorary fellow of the London Business School.
Kumar Mangalam Birla handed over the reins of the Birla Group at the age of 28 after the demise of his father in 1998. Under him, the company expanded from being valued at $3.33 billion in 1995 to $41 billion in 2015. He was felicitated with the “CEO of the Year” award by the International Advertising Association, and the Economic Times’ “Business Leader Award” in 2003 and 2013.
He was born on 14 June 1967 in Calcutta and brought up in Mumbai. He studied B.Com from the HR College of Commerce and Economics, has an MBA degree from the London Business School, and is a chartered accountant from the ICAI (India).
Bajaj Family
Ownership – Bajaj Group Net worth – $14.6 Billion Industry – Diversified
Bajaj Family Owners of Bajaj Group | Top Richest Indians
The Bajaj Group owns 40+ companies and the group’s flagship company—Bajaj Auto is ranked as the fourth largest two- and three-wheeler manufacturer in the world. The Bajaj Group is involved in industries such as home appliances, lighting, iron and steel, insurance, travel, and finance.
Bajaj Group was founded by a Rajasthani Marwari businessman, Jamnalal Bajaj, in 1926. Rahul Bajaj, the grandson of Jamnalal Bajaj, the late patriarch and former chairman, shared the family fortune with cousins. Following the passing of the patriarch in February 2022, Rajiv Bajaj, Rahul Bajaj’s older son, now leads Bajaj Auto, while Sanjiv Bajaj, Rahul Bajaj’s younger son, manages Bajaj Finserv—the family’s most significant asset.
Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman and MD of Bajaj Finserv, leads the financial conglomerate within the Bajaj Group with 9M consolidated revenue of over Rs 58,447 crore ($7.14 billion)* and Rs 4,648 crore ($568 million)* profit after tax for FY2022-23. Under his leadership, Bajaj Finserv has emerged as a leading diversified financial services company in India, offering lending, insurance, and wealth advisory solutions.
Sanjiv Bajaj chairs Bajaj Finance, Maharashtra Scooters, Bajaj Finserv Asset Management, and Bajaj Housing Finance, among others. His contributions to the financial services sector have been widely recognized, including being honored as AIMA’s Transformational Business Leader 2023, among other prestigious honors.
Founder – Bharti Enterprises Net Worth – $14.5 Billion Industry – Telecom
Sunil Mittal, Founder of Bharti Enterprises | Top Richest Indians
Sunil Mittal is the founder of Bharti Enterprises, which has diversified interests in telecom, insurance, real estate, education, malls, hospitality, agriculture, and food. He was among the early birds who identified the potential in the mobile telecom business and came up with Airtel; Sunil dominated the telecom segment in India through Airtel until Mukesh Ambani stepped in with Jio. Bharti Airtel, a subsidiary of Bharti Enterprises, manages Airtel and is currently focusing on Asia and the African regions.
Sunil Mittal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in the year 2007. He was then elected as chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce in 2016. He is no stranger to laurels and recognition, having been the recipient of awards like Telecom Person Of The Year by Telecom Asia Awards, and Business Leader Of The Year by Economic Times to name a few.
Born on 23 October 1957 in Ludhiana, Punjab, he completed his education at Arya College and Punjab University. At the age of 18, he started his first business by borrowing Rs. 20000 from his father. His father was an MP from Ludhiana.
Uday Kotak
Founder – Kotak Mahindra Bank Net Worth – $14.3 Billion Industry – Finance and Investments
Uday Kotak, Founder, MD, and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank | Top Richest Indians
Uday Kotak is the founder, MD, and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. Kotak Mahindra Bank. Anand Mahindra lent Rs. 1 lakh to Uday Kotak to start a financial services firm 30 years ago.
He was recognized as the “Most Powerful Person in The Financial World” by Forbes in May 2016. India Today magazine ranked him 8th in India’s most powerful person list of 2017. He was also the Ernst and Young World Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014.
Born on 15 March 1959 in Mumbai, Uday Kotak was brought up in an upper-middle-class Gujarati-Lohana joint family. He pursued his bachelor’s degree from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics and holds an MBA degree from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute. He is a math wizard and topped his university in B.Com.
Shapoor Mistry and Family
Chairman – Shapoorji Pallonji Group Net Worth – $14.2 Billion Industry – Diversified
Shapoor Mistry, Chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji Group | Top Richest Indians
After the death of Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry and his younger son, Cyrus Mistry earlier in 2022, Shapoor Mistry (Pallonji Shapoorji’s elder son) now runs the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. He serves as the Chairman of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. The family holds also holds an 18.4% stake in Tata Sons.
Shapoor Mistry, the patriarch’s older son and group Chairman, now oversees the family’s $14.2 billion fortune, which is primarily derived from a minority stake in the sprawling Tata conglomerate.
Godrej Family
Ownership – Godrej Group Net Worth – $13.9 Billion Industry – Diversified
Adi Godrej, Chairman Emeritus of Godrej Group | Top Richest Indians
The Godrej company has existed since 1897 and is present in almost every imaginable sector of the Indian economy. The company was founded by Pirojsha and Ardeshir Godrej. The empire is now run by their grandsons Adi, Nadir, and Jamshyd. Adi Burjorji is the head of the Godrej family and the chairman of the Godrej Group. He has been the chairman of the Indian School of Business since April 2011.
Ardeshir decided to make locks after seeing the crime rates in 1897. His brother joined him in his venture and the rest is history. Smita Godrej is a third-generation heir of the Godrej family. On a lighter note, almost every family in India still has a Godrej almirah that’s at least 20 years old!
Lakshmi Mittal
Chairman – ArcelorMittal Net Worth – $13.8 Billion Industry – Metals and Mining
Lakshmi Mittal, Founder and Chairman of ArcelorMittal | Top Richest Indians
Lakshmi Niwas Mittal is an Indian steel magnate, Founder, and Chairman of ArcelorMittal. He is the owner of Karrick Limited and the co-owner of Queens Park Rangers F.C. He is popularly known as the King of Steel. In 2007, he became the richest Asian in Europe. His empire has been subjected to a minor slowdown after the acquisition of an Italian company but Lakshmi Mittal continues to grow every day with his companies consistently reporting double-digit growth year in, and year out.
Lakshmi Niwas Mittal is on the board of directors of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. He is a member of the independent board of directors at Goldman Sachs since 2008. He is also associated with several charities and firmly supports the development of Indian athletes.
Lakshmi Mittal was born on 15 June 1950 in Sadulpur, Rajasthan to a traditional Marwari family. He currently resides in London. He pursued his B.Com degree from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta. Mittal is known for his lavish lifestyle and incredible success statement; the steel tycoon spent approximately $60 million on his daughter Vanisha Mittal’s nuptials. The spectacle features in Forbes’ top ten most outrageous billionaire weddings.
Madhukar Parekh
Chairman – Pidilite Industries Net Worth – $12.6 Billion Industry – Manufacturing
Madhukar Parekh, Chairman of Pidilite | Top RIchest Indians
Madhukar Balvantray Parekh is the chairman and executive director of Pidilite Industries, an organization dealing in adhesives and construction chemicals. Fevicol, Dr. Fixit, M-Seal, Fevikwik, and Fevistik are some of the big names in the Pidilite chain.
Parekh serves as the Chairman, executive director, and MD of Vinyl Chemicals India Limited. He is also an independent non-executive director of Excel Industries Limited. Under his leadership, the company won many prestigious awards such as the ‘Most Promising Company of the Year’ at CNBC, and the 11th India Business Leader Awards.
Madhukar was born in 1945 in Mumbai. He currently lives in Mumbai. Parekh is a Gold medalist holder from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), a leading chemical technology research institute in India. His father Balvantray Kalyanji Parekh was the founder of Pidilite Industries. Balvantray was popularly known as ‘India’s Fevicol Man’.
Burman Family
Ownership – Dabur India Net Worth – $9.6 Billion Industry – Consumer Goods
Burman Family, Dabur | Top Richest Indians
The Burman family is responsible for giving us Indians Dabur Chyawanprash, a health product that graces the kitchen shelf of every other Indian. An Ayurvedic practitioner Dr. S.K. Burman started the business in the 1880s. His son then went on to set up a research and development facility and also began the mass production of medicines in 1884. Dabur Ltd. is presently handled by the fifth generation of the Burman household. However, Fresenius SE which is based out of Germany controls more than 73.3% of Dabur Pharma Ltd.
Azim Premji
Founder – Wipro Net Worth – $9.3 Billion Industry – Technology
Azim Premji – Founder of Wipro | Top Richest Indians
Azim Premji is referred to as the Czar of the Indian IT Industry. He is an Indian billionaire, business tycoon, investor, philanthropist, and the founder of India’s third-largest software company—Wipro Limited. Wipro Limited is an India-based IT, consulting, and business process services (BPO) company headquartered in Bengaluru, India. Azim Premji is also the richest person in Karnataka.
The Government of India honoured Azim Premji with Padma Bhushan in 2005 and awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, in 2011 for his excellent work in the field of trade and commerce.
Premji was born on 24 July 1945 in Mumbai and currently resides in Bangalore. Premji pursued Electrical Engineering (equivalent to a Bachelor of Engineering) from Stanford University, USA. He took over his family’s cooking oil business after the death of his father in 1966. He is also the first Indian to sign up for The Giving Pledge, a campaign led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. The Giving Pledge focuses on encouraging the wealthiest individuals to give away most of their money to philanthropic causes.
Kushal Pal Singh
Former Chairman – DLF Ltd. Net Worth – $8.8 Billion Industry – Real Estate
Kushal Pal Singh, Chairman Emeritus of DLF | Top Richest Indians
Kushal Pal Singh is the former CEO and chairman of DLF Limited. DLF Ltd. (Delhi Land and Finance) is India’s largest commercial real estate developer. DLF Limited was founded by his father-in-law Chaudhary Raghvendra Singh.
Singh was honoured with Padma Bhushan Award on 26 January 2010 by the Government of India. He was recognized by Forbes magazine as the richest real estate baron and the eighth richest person in the world on 24 March 2008.
KP Singh was born on 15 November 1931 in Uttar Pradesh. He did Aeronautical Engineering in the UK and was also selected for the Indian Army by the British Officers Services Selection Board, UK. An Autobiography named ‘Whatever the Odds: The Incredible Story Behind DLF’ was launched in 2011.
Ashwin Dani
Non-Executive Director – Asian Paints Ltd. Net worth – $8.4 Billion Industry – Manufacturing
Ashwin Dani, Non-Executive Director of Asian Paints | Top Richest Indians
Ashwin Dani is a businessman and the non-executive Director of India’s largest paint company, Asian Paints Ltd. His full name is Ashwin Suryakant Dani. He won the Color Society Lifetime achievement award in the year 2012.
Ravi Jaipuria
Chairman – RJ Corp Net worth – $8.1 Billion Industry – Manufacturing
Ravi Jaipuria, Chairman of RJ Corp | Top Richest Indians
Ravi Jaipuria is an Indian billionaire businessman and Chairman of RJ Corp. Under RJ Corp, he manages Devyani International which operates many large beverage and fast food brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, and more.
Varun Beverages, the other listed company under RJ Corp, is the second-largest bottling partner for PepsiCo’s soft drink brands. Ravi is famously known as India’s cola king.
Kuldip Singh & Gurbachan Singh Dhingra
Owners – Berger Paints India Net worth – $6.8 Billion Industry – Manufacturing
Kuldip Singh (left) and Gurbachan Singh Dhingra, Berger Paints | Top Richest Indians
The brothers control India’s second-largest paint maker company, Berger Paints. Kuldip Singh and Gurbachan Singh bought Berger from Vijay Mallya. Kuldip Singh serves as the Chairman and Gurbachan Singh Dhingra serves as the Vice Chairman of Berger Paints India.
Vikram Lal
Founder – Eicher Motors Net Worth – $6.6 Billion Industry – Automotive
Vikram Lal, Founder and Former CEO of Eicher Motors | Top Richest Indians
Vikram Lal is the founder and former CEO of Eicher Motors which manufactures motorcycles and commercial vehicles. He is also the president of Common Cause, a public interest NGO pursuing major issues relating to reform, governance, and the enforcement of the law.
Eicher Motors is the parent company of Royal Enfield, a manufacturer of middleweight motorcycles. Eicher Motors holds a majority stake of 60% in Royal Enfield. His son Siddharth Lal is the current CEO of Eicher Motors and Royal Enfield.
Lal was born in 1942 in Delhi and presently lives in Delhi. He pursued his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from Technical University Darmstadt in West Germany. He is also on the board of directors of ‘The Doon School’. His NGO, Goodearth Education Foundation (GEF), has been working with state governments and other NGOs in primary education for more than 10 years.
Mahendra Choksi
Company – Asian Paints Net worth – $6.5 Billion Industry – Manufacturing
Mahendra Choksi is the son of one of the four co-founders of Asian Paints. Family patriarch Ashwin Choksi, under whom the fortune was previously listed, died in September 2018. Mahendra is the late Ashwin Choksi’s brother. Mahendra’s son, Manish, is the company’s non-executive vice chairman.
Murali Divi
Founder – Divi’s Laboratories Net Worth – $6.45 Billion Industry – Healthcare
Murali Divi, Founder of Divi’s Laboratories | Top Riches Indians
Murali Divi is a U.S.-trained scientist who founded generics maker Divi’s Laboratories 30 years ago as a drug research firm. Today, Divi’s Laboratories is among the world’s top suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients. The company’s revenue is estimated to be $1.2 billion in 2022.
Sudhir & Samir Mehta
Owners – Torrent Pharma Net worth – $6.4 Billion Industry – Healthcare
Sudhir and Samir Mehta, Torrent Pharma | Top Riches Indians
Sudhir Mehta and Samir Mehta changed the fortunes of a struggling Trinity laboratory by manifesting it into Torrent Pharma. Torrent has a solid presence in Russia, Brazil, and many other European countries. The Torrent group also tried its hands at generating electricity; today, Torrent Power has a 2,101 Mw generation capacity and distributes power to 2.76 million customers in parts of Gujarat.
Vinod & Anil Rai Gupta
Owners – Havells India Net worth – $6.3 Billion Industry – Manufacturing
Anil and Vinod Rai Gupta, Havells | Top Richest Indians
Havells was founded by Qimat Rai Gupta. Anil Rai is the son of Vinod Gupta (wife of the late Qimat Gupta). Together they own 60% of Havells India, their primary source of wealth. Havells makes everything—from electrical equipment and lighting products to washing machines and refrigerators. The company’s products are available in more than 60 countries in the world.
Hasmukh Chudgar
Founder – Intas Pharmaceuticals Net worth – $6.2 Billion Industry – Pharmaceuticals
Hasmukh Chudgar, Founder of Intas Pharmaceuticals | Top Richest Indians
With a net worth of $6.3 billion, Chudgar is placed at 28th position on the list of India’s richest persons. Hasmukh Chudgar founded the generics maker Intas Pharmaceuticals in 1977. Intas bought the Irish and UK assets of Israeli firm Teva Pharmaceuticals for $764 million in October 2016.
Benu Gopal Bangur
Chairman – Shree Cement Net Worth – $6 Billion Industry – Manufacturing
Benu Gopal Bangur, Chairman of Shree Cement | Top Richest Indians
The Bangur business empire came into existence in the year 1979. Gopal Bangur is the owner of Shree Cement, the leading cement producer in India. He is also the Chairman of the board of NBI Industrial Finance Co. Ltd. and the director of Khemka Properties Pvt. Ltd. Gopal is ranked 29th on the list of richest people in India by Forbes.
Benu Bangur holds a 65% stake in Shree Cement. Shree Ultra Ordinary Portland Cement, Shree Ultra Jung Rodhak, Bangur Cement, and Tuff Cemento 3556 are the crown jewels of Shree Cement.
Bangur was born in 1931 in Kolkata to a Marwari business family. He is a widow with two children and currently resides in Kolkata. Benu has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Calcutta University. He runs a Sanskrit school to promote Indian heritage and culture.
Rekha Jhunjhunwala
Company- Rare Enterprises Net Worth – $5.9 Billion Industry – Finance and Investments
Rekha Jhunjhunwala | Top Richest Indians
After Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s (popularly referred to as the Indian Warren Buffet and the Big Bull of the Indian Share Market) death in August 2022, his wife, Rekha Jhunjhunwala replaced him on the list of India’s richest people. She inherited a valuable stock portfolio from her late husband and stands in the 30th position on Forbes India’s rich list. Their portfolio includes popular names like Titan, Star Health and Allied Insurance, Crisil, and more.
Murugappa Family
Company- Murugappa Group Net Worth – $5.8 Billion Industry – Diversified
M M Murugappan, Chairman of Murugappa Group | Top Richest Indians
The Murugappa family owns and manages the Murugappa Group, a conglomerate founded in 1900. The Group was founded by Dewan Bahadur A. M. Murugappa Chettiar. Murugappa Group is involved in diversified businesses like engineering, agriculture, financial services, and more. At present, M M Murugappan serves as the Chairman of the Group.
Harsh Mariwala
Chairman – Marico Net worth – $5.7 Billion Industry – Consumer Goods
Harsh Mariwala, Chairman of Marico | Top Richest Indians
Harsh Mariwala started Marico, the consumer goods company which deals in health and beauty products. Popular hair products like Set Wet, Livon, and Nihar are some of Marico’s offerings. Harsh Mariwala is also the founder of Kaya skincare Ltd. Mariwala’s net worth is $5.7 billion and he has been ranked as the 32nd wealthiest Indian by Forbes.
Vijay Chauhan
Chairman – Parle Products Net worth – $5.5 Billion Industry – Food and Beverage
Vijay Chauhan, Chairman of Parle Products | Top Richest Indians
Vijay Chauhan is the patriarch of the family that controls Parle Products. He serves as the chairman of the company. Parle Products Company was founded in 1929 by Mohanlal Chauhan. The company is famous for its most popular product, Parle G glucose biscuits. At present, he, along with Raj Chauhan and Sharad Chauhan, controls and manages the company.
Founders – Macleods Pharmaceuticals Net Worth – $5.45 Billion Industry – Healthcare
Girdhari Lal (in picture), Rajendra Agarwal, and Banwari Lal Bawri, Macleods | Top Richest Indians
Girdhari Lal Bawri, Rajendra Agarwal, and Banwari Lal Bawri belong to a family that owned a pharmacy in Jaipur and made anti-TB medicines. The privately held company, Macleods Pharmaceutical, now produces generics for a range of diseases, including asthma, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Agarwal, the youngest sibling, is a qualified doctor and the company’s managing director. Older brothers Girdhari Lal and Banwari Lal are chairman and joint managing director respectively.
M.A. Yusuff Ali
Founder – LuLu Group International Net worth – $5.4 Billion Industry – Fashion and Retail
M.A. Yusuff Ali, Founder of LuLu Group International | Top Richest Indians
M.A. Yusuff Ali is the founder and MD of LuLu Group International. The Lulu Group owns various malls and hypermarkets all around the world. After completing his studies, Yusuff shifted to Abu Dhabi and joined his uncle in his business. He launched the first Lulu store in 1990 and hasn’t looked back since then. The business tycoon is aggressively expanding his chain of malls in India with states like Kerala being the entry point.
Vakil Family
Company – Asian Paints Net worth – $5.2 Billion Industry – Manufacturing
Nehal Vakil (in picture) Vakil Family, Asian Paints | Top Richest Indians
Abhay Vakil, the son of Arvind Vakil (one of the co-founders of Asian Paints), was an Indian billionaire businessman and a non-executive director of Asian Paints Ltd. Brothers Abhay and Amar Vakil passed away in the year 2021, and now the third generation of the Vakil family runs Asian Paints. Nehal Vakil, Abhay Vakil’s daughter, became a non-executive director of the company after her father’s demise.
The Vakil Family stands at the 36th position on the Forbes list of the richest Indians in 2022.
Mangal Prabhat Lodha
Founder – Macrotech Developers Net worth – $5.1 Billion Industry – Real Estate
Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Founder of Macrotech Developers | Top Richest Indians
Mangal Prabhat Lodha is an Indian businessman and politician. He founded Lodha Group, now Macrotech Developers, a Mumbai-based real estate developer in 1980. He started the group by building middle-class homes in Mumbai’s suburbs.
He is the Minister of Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Maharashtra. He was also the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mumbai unit.
Kapil & Rahul Bhatia
Company – InterGlobe Enterprises Net worth – $4.9 Billion Industry – Service
Kapil and Rahul Bhatia (in picture), IndiGo Airlines | Top Richest Indians
Rahul Bhatia is the co-founder and non-executive director of IndiGo airlines. He is also the group managing director of InterGlobe Enterprises. It is a privately held firm which has vested interests in the airline, travel, and hotel segments. He won awards such as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Economic Times Entrepreneur of the Year award. Kapil Bhatia is Rahul Bhatia’s father and the joint owner of InterGlobe Aviation. The father-son duo’s net worth is $4.9 billion, as of 2022.
Pavan and Vivek Jain
Company – INOX Group/ INOXGFL Group Net worth – $4.55 Billion Industry – Manufacturing
Pavan and Vivek Jain, INOX | Top Richest Indians
In 2021, Devendra Jain divided the family’s assets in Inox Group between his two sons, Pavan and Vivek Jain. Pavan is the elder son and serves as the Chairman of the Inox Group, which includes medical gas maker Inox Air Products and movie theatre chain Inox Leisure Ltd. Vivek on the other hand is chairman of the InoxGFL group which includes chemical maker Gujarat Fluorochemicals; Inox Wind and wind farm maintenance company Inox Green Energy Services.
Singh Family
Company – Alkem Laboratories Net worth – $4.5 Billion Industry – Healthcare
Singh Family, Alkem Laboratories | Top Richest Indians
The Singh family inherited a majority stake in Alkem Laboratories after its founder Samprada Singh passed away in July 2019. Alkem Laboratories is one of the top generics companies in India with more than 20 factories across India and the US. At present, Basudeo Narain Singh, Singh’s cousin is the Executive Chairman of the company.
N.R. Narayana Murthy
Company – Infosys Net worth – $4.3 Billion Industry – Technology
N.R. Narayana Murthy, Infosys | Top Richest Indians
N.R. Narayana Murthy is one of the founders and chairman emeritus of the Indian multinational information technology company, Infosys. He served as the CEO, Chairman, President, and chief mentor of the company before his retirement. Time magazine and CNBC have described Murthy as the “father of the Indian IT sector” for his great contribution to outsourcing in India.
He has also been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri, the prominent civilian awards of the Republic of India.
Ramesh Juneja
Company – Mankind Pharma Net worth – $4.2 Billion Industry – Healthcare
Ramesh Juneja, Chairman of Mankind Pharma | Top Richest Indians
Ramesh Juneja co-founded Mankind Pharma, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in India, with his brother Rajeev Juneja in 1995. He is currently the Chairman of Mankind Pharma. Ramesh Juneja has held different positions in many pharmaceutical companies in India, like KeePharma Ltd., Lupin, etc.
He is now one of the richest Indians, ranking 42nd on the Forbes List of the Top 100 Richest Indians, 2022.
P.P. Reddy
Chairman – Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Net worth – $4.1 Billion Industry – Engineering and Infrastructure
P.P. Reddy, Chairman of Megha Engineering & Infrastructure | Top Richest Indians
Megha Engineering & Infrastructure was founded in 1989 by P.P. Reddy, a farmer’s son, to make small pipes for the municipality. P.P. Reddy later expanded his business to build infrastructure projects. His nephew, P.V. Krishna Reddy, who joined P.P. Reddy in 1991, runs the company.
Falguni Nayar
Founder – Nykaa Net worth – $4.08 Billion Industry – Beauty and Lifestyle
Falguni Nayar, Founder and CEO of Nykaa | Top Richest Indians
Falguni Nayar is an Indian businesswoman who is famously known as the founder and CEO of Nykaa, the leading beauty and lifestyle retail company in India. Nayar founded Nykaa in 2012 with $2 million of her own money, and by 2020, it had become India’s first unicorn startup led by a woman. Nykaa opened its IPO in October 2021, which made Nayar the first Indian woman to lead the public listing of a startup.
Falguni has a net worth of $4.08 billion (2022) and is one of the two self-made female Indian billionaires, the other being Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.
Muthoot Family
Company – Muthoot Finance Net Worth – $4.05 Billion Industry – Financial Services
Muthoot Family | Top Richest Indians
Muthoot Group was founded in 1887. India’s leading lender against gold, Muthoot Finance, is managed and controlled by the Muthoot family. Shri George Jacob Muthoot is the current group chairman of the Muthoot Group of companies.
Chandru Raheja
Company – Mindspace Business Parks REIT (backed by K Raheja Corp.) Net Worth – $4 Billion Industry – Real Estate
Chandru Raheja, Chairman of K Raheja Corp. | Top Richest Indians
Chandru Raheja is an Indian billionaire businessman and the chairman of K Raheja Corp. He formed K Raheja Corp. in 1996, which is involved in the development of IT parks, hotels, and malls, as well as the operation of department store chains such as Shoppers Stop. The company’s important projects include JW Marriott in Mumbai, Inorbit Mall, Mindspace, etc.
Yusuf Hamied
Non-Executive Chairman – Cipla Net worth – $3.9 Billion Industry – Pharmaceuticals
Yusuf Hamied, Non-Executive Chairman of Cipla | Top Richest Indians
Cipla was founded in 1935 by Yusuf’s father Khwaja Abdul Hamied, who passed away in 1972. Yusuf Hamied and his brother then took over the family business. In 2020, Cipla launched a range of drugs to treat Covid-19, including a generic version of Remdesivir manufactured under a license from Gilead Sciences.
Sridhar Vembu and Siblings
Company – Zoho Corporation Net worth – $3.8 Billion Industry – Technology
Sridhar Vembu (in picture) and Siblings, Zoho Corporation | Top Richest Indians
Sridhar Vembu is the founder and CEO of Zoho Corporation, a technology company that makes computer software and web-based business tools. Sridhar owns a majority stake in Zoho with his siblings.
Vembu was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, in 2021.
Pankaj Patel
Chairman – Zydus Lifesciences Net worth – $3.77 Billion Industry – Pharmaceuticals
Pankaj Patel, Chairman of Zydus Lifesciences | Top Richest Indians
With the title of “Best Pharma Man of the Year 2003” under his belt, Pankaj Patel undoubtedly deserves the respect he gets. Pankaj is popularly known as a “pharma magnate.” He is the current chairman of Zydus Lifesciences Limited, the leading pharmaceutical company in India. He is also the founder and chairman of Zydus Hospitals.
Ravi Modi
Company – Vedant Fashions Net worth – $3.75 Billion Industry – Fashion and Retail
Ravi Modi, Founder of Vedant Fashions | Top Richest Indians
Ravi Modi founded Vedant Fashions, a manufacturer of Indian ethnic wear, in 2002, and the company went public in 2022. He serves as the Chairman and Managing Director of the company. The company’s flagship brand, Manyavar, is famous all over India and is the category leader in the branded Indian wedding and celebration wear market.
Nitin Konde
