Adani snatches the crown back from Ambani on the Hurun rich list

MUMBAI: Gautam Adani is back on top. The Adani family has reclaimed the number one spot on the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2026, and Mukesh Ambani has to settle for the silver.

The numbers tell the tale. Adani’s wealth jumped 13 per cent to Rs 9.23 lakh crore ($96 billion). Ambani’s fell 10 per cent to Rs 8.63 lakh crore ($90 billion). That leaves Adani ahead by Rs 59,400 crore, which is a lot of lunch money.

The 15th edition of the list, with data as of 24 August 2026, has 1,810 people worth at least Rs 1,000 crore, up 128 on last year. Together they are worth Rs 187.5 lakh crore ($1.96 trillion), up 12.8 per cent and nearly half of India’s GDP. India now counts 391 dollar billionaires, up from 237 five years ago. It added 27 in the past year alone.

The Hurun list did not follow the market down. The Nifty 50 fell 3.9 per cent and the Sensex 5.8 per cent over the same period. “Wealth creation outpaced the stock market,” said Anas Rahman Junaid, founder and chief researcher at Hurun India.

Steel was the star. LN Mittal and family of ArcelorMittal jumped eight places to third as their wealth rose 93 per cent to Rs 3.39 lakh crore, helped by Europe’s steel trade protection and firmer prices. Mittal added Rs 1.64 lakh crore, the biggest absolute gain on the list. Anil Agarwal and family of Vedanta Resources rose seven places to ninth with an 87 per cent jump to Rs 2.08 lakh crore. Samir Mehta and family of Torrent Pharmaceuticals broke into the top 10 at number 10 with Rs 1.89 lakh crore, after the JB Chemicals merger.

Then came the quantum leap. Nagendra Nagaraja of Bengaluru-based QpiAi became the first quantum computing entrepreneur on the list, with Rs 1,700 crore. Artificial intelligence made its debut as a sector of its own, with 19 entrants worth Rs 3.07 lakh crore, of whom 15 are new. Aerospace and defence brought in 23 entrants worth Rs 85,200 crore. Tanay Kothari and Sahaj Garg, both 28, arrived with Wispr Flow and Rs 4,200 crore each.

Youth had its moment too. Kaivalya Vohra of Zepto, 23, is the youngest on the list, and his co-founder Aadit Palicha, 24, is the second youngest. Aditya Kumar Halwasiya of Cupid was the fastest riser, with his wealth up 859 per cent to Rs 18,800 crore.

Self-made entrepreneurs now make up 70 per cent of the list, 1,266 in all, against 55 per cent five years ago. Mumbai leads the cities with 465 rich listers, ahead of New Delhi with 236 and Bengaluru with 129. There are 131 women on the list, up from 100. Roshni Nadar Malhotra and family remain the richest woman, at fifth overall with Rs 2.79 lakh crore. Renuka Jagtiani of Landmark Group made the highest new entry, at 36th with Rs 70,500 crore. She lives in Dubai, as do two other top new entrants.

Here are the top 10 new faces. Eight of them live outside India.

Top 10 new additions, M3M Hurun India Rich List 2026. Source: Hurun Research Institute

The listers added Rs 5,833 crore a day. The average age is 64.

Ambani may want to check the calendar. The next list is only a year away.