Eight Indian Women in Forbes ‘World’s Billionaires’ list

Eight Indian women have featured in this year’s Forbes list of the world’s richest people. Forbes’ 2018 ‘World’s Billionaires’ list includes a total of 256 women, an all-time high, and their collective net worth topped USD 1 trillion, up 20 per cent since last year. Though most of the women at the top of the list inherited their fortunes, the number of self-made women reached 72 for the first time, up from 56 a year ago, Forbes said.

Among the Indian women on the list, Savitri Jindal and family is the richest with a fortune of USD 8.8 billion. She is ranked 176th globally. Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the second richest Indian woman. She is India’s richest self-made woman and was ranked 629th on the list with a fortune of USD 3.6 billion. Other Indian women on the list include Smita Crishna-Godrej at 822nd place with a net worth of USD 2.9 billion and Leena Tewari, who chairs the privately held USV India, at 1,020th rank with a fortune of USD 2.4 billion.

Meanwhile, Vinod and Anil Rai Gupta were placed at the 1,103rd place with a fortune of USD 2.2 billion. “Mother and son Vinod and Anil Rai Gupta draw their fortune from a 43 per cent holding in flagship Havells India,” it said. Anu Aga is the sixth richest Indian woman on the list, ranked 1,650th with a net worth of USD 1.4 billion. Sheela Gautam, who set up Sheela Foam in 1971, best known for its Sleepwell brand of mattresses, was ranked at 1,999th place with a fortune of USD 1.1 billion, while newcomer Madhu Kapur, who got her fortune from a 9.3 per cent stake in Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Yes Bank too was ranked 1,999th with a net worth of USD 1.1 billion.