Launches at Bennett, Coleman invariably attract actresses to do the honours, and the Jain Holi celebrations in Delhi are one of the two major bashes that day in the city (the other one is at Coke bottler Ravi Jaipuria’s house). For all that, Samir Jain keeps a low profile and isn’t the partying kind. When he does deign to visit friends’ homes, often home-cooked Jain food from his house accompanies him. Some say he never eats out at restaurants. He is vegetarian, doesn’t drink or smoke, and is reputedly closer to executives who emulate his lifestyle. Such people, it has been suggested, are virtually hand-fed by him – he is a good host, and tends to make sure his guests are well fed. Since meetings are often held over meals – breakfast, lunch, even dinner – you can be sure he has a well-fed team around him. Samir Jain likes to surround himself with people at all times. Besides being vegetarian, he’s reputedly a health freak too and walks as often as he can for as long as he can. No wonder he likes to wear his jogging shoes at all times, and isn’t bothered if it doesn’t quite match his Armani or Boss suit.

Bennett, Coleman’s Samir Jain keeps a low profile and isn’t the partying kind

It’s strange how power and money seem to promote vegetarianism. Sunil Mittal of Bharti isn’t much of a foodie, and if he’s spotted often at A D Singh’s Olive in Delhi, it’s because the restaurant is within walking distance of his corporate office in Mehrauli.

But every time a large project is on the anvil, Mittal turns vegetarian. Obviously, renunciation and sacrifice are powerful motivators in Indian life, and Mittal isn’t above it.

He wears Armani, drives an S-class Mercedez, plays golf, is partial to the Oberoi group, is a gym regular and – like Vijaypat Singhania – is a licensed pilot, though unlike Singhania, he hasn’t been known to participate in any marathon flying events. In fact, he probably hasn’t flown much since he got his licence.

If he’s superstitious – beyond going veggie for important things in his life – it’s about a number: 23. It’s the date on which he was born, and married, and he will always have it on his car. And yes – the indulgence of the rich – when he’s going away for a bit, you can be sure that the one person who’ll be accompanying him will be his yoga teacher.

Who else is part of India’s Armani pack? Subhash Chandra for sure, though like another media giant, the ABP group’s Aveek Sarkar, he’s graduated these days to the dhoti kurta as his preferred attire.   He isn’t too particular about his food, and is usually willing to go along with what others want, though ask him his preference and he’ll tell you he’s happiest with dal, sabzi, dahi, all of it accompanied by piping hot rotis. Followed, no doubt, by a drag on that lowest common denominator – a bidi. The lone dissenter in the Armani row is Bajaj Auto’s chairman and managing director Rahul K Bajaj. Like Subhash Chandra, he’s moving these days towards churidar-kurta ensembles, but is addicted to that strange creation from the seventies, the safari suit. “My family finds them very ugly,” he admits, “but I’m most comfortable in them and get them tailored from a shop in Mumbai by the same guy who has been tailoring them for years.” He’s not much of an accessoriser either, and doesn’t like expensive watches, or gadgets and gizmos.

Zee’s Subhash Chandra has graduated to the dhoti kurta as his preferred attire

“Except for the odd suit or shirt I’ve picked up on my travels, I don’t shop abroad.” And here’s something else you didn’t know: “I always insist on doing my own packing.” The acclaimed valet service in luxury hotels must hold very little appeal for him.

Unlike most Punjabi families, Bajaj is vegetarian and has his regional favourites – Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Marwari and South Indian. And he’s fond of Chinese and Italian cuisine. “I’m not into fusion food,” he says, which means he won’t be doing the rounds of Mumbai’s tony restaurants. In any case, Bajaj prefers his food home cooked and would rather eat at a friend’s house when travelling.

As a close friend of Mukesh Ambani, Bajaj could even exchange notes with him on the best “bhelpuri” kiosk, the “dhokla” guy, and who does the best “chole bhature.” Ambani has his “bhelpuri” from a small roadside vendor at Nariman Point. But then he isn’t a flashy diner, preferring Cream Center for his icecreams and Swati for his vegetarian meals when in Mumbai. Not that he doesn’t indulge himself.

He might be tempted by a dosa off the road at Gowalia Tank, but he’ll have his penne aglio e con peperinco at the poshest restaurant in Manhattan. He has, of course his corporate jets – a Gulfstream and a Beechcraft – and has been known to hire a Boeing 747 for his family to fly in. He can be spotted checking out the canteen food at the Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge Centre. Even though he tends to get to office well after 11 am, Mukesh Ambani begins his day early, directing the day’s affairs over the phone, having touched base with his A team. The Mercedez S-class 500 can’t cope with Mumbai’s traffic, so to get to the Knowledge Centre on the city’s outskirts, he uses a Bell helicopter that takes off and lands at the race course. He will usually wind up his day – or night, he tends to work very late, sometimes till 2-3 am – being driven home. At work, he often moves from one meeting to another and back, and discussions are sometimes held apres dinner walking around the natural lake that is part of the complex. If Ambani is happy with his light, vegetarian meal, Vijay Mallya, we know, would prefer Asian fusion (that’s modern oriental food to you and me) or spicy South Indian fare.

Nusli Wadia of Bomhay Dyeing likes to spend time in London, though his favourite holiday destination is Goa

Nusli Wadia of Bombay Dyeing – no party animal – would prefer doing his own cooking. Stylish like his famous grandfather Mohd Ali Jinnah, Wadia also likes to spend time in London, though his favourite holiday destination – as also Mallya’s – is Goa.

Wadia is a workaholic too, and is often to be spotted late in his office. Unlike Mittal, though, he isn’t into hi-tech gadgets. But if there’s one thing he’s passionate about, it’s cricket. No wonder he was seen in the stands beside General Pervez Musharraf when India went back to Pakistan to play cricket for the first time since the ban was lifted. If there’s something most Indian billionaires would count as a common card, it’s their love for travel. Samir Jain never misses his annual vacation, and Spain and Italy are favourites.

Rahul Bajaj is a recent convert to planned holidays. Till a few years ago, he could boast of one holiday in Gulmarg two decaders back, and another in Kodaikanal a decade later. Since 1997, however, he’s turned into a regular globetrotter, with Switzerland’s St Moritz and Interlaken being fave spots, and cruises being his chosen mode of travel-cum-holiday – he’s taken four cruises in as many years. “I like going on a cruise with a large group of 25-30 people. I tell my wife if we go alone after 43 years of marriage, we will come back divorced.”

Ambani, like his father, has a soft spot for national parks, and is a regular visitor with his family to the tiger resorts of Kanha and Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh. He may not be a marathon runner like younger brother Anil Ambani, but he’s attracted to sport. Which is why he was there to cheer the Indian contingent on at the Olympic Games in Athens (so maybe it was just a coincidence that shooter Anjali Bhagwat and commentator Rajesh Tiwari are Reliance employees). No one would be happier than him should India get the opportunity to host the Games in India, and he’s bound to be in the stands for Delhi’s Commonwealth Games in 2010. The peripatetic life most suits Mallya who’s as outspoken as his image: he’s turned Kingfisher beer into a trendy drink, and associated himself with cars (his garage boasts a Ferrari, a Porsche and a Maserati); breeds and bets on horses (the McDowell’s Derby has become the Ascot for India); and is a speedster with interests in motor racing and speedboat racing. Once, he was a regular participant in car rallies, and often to be found on the Sholavaram race track in Chennai. Now his interests have turned towards flying, even if it’s professional: next year, Mallya will launch Kingfisher Airlines. Maybe he is India’s Richard Branson after all.

Rahul Bajaj is addicted to safari suits, though he says his family thinks they’re ugly

Mallya is a flashy dresser too, and isn’t embarrassed to sport jewellery. He wears from suits and ties to bund-galas, casual Ts – and was once even famously seen sporting a Scottish kilt. Already, he’s grooming his 16-year-old to take over from where he leaves off, parties and all. For now, Siddhartha has started accompanying his father to some of the jazzier parties. “I’d like to see my son step into my shoes,” says Mallya. Siddhartha doesn’t look like he minds.

But Mallya too has a streak of the spiritual in him – as the Sabarimala steps leading up to the pilgrimage centre in Kerala will testify, paved as they are in gold. He has both promoted and is an ardent devotee of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living philosophy.

Mostly, though, the rich and the successful tend to seek out the spiritual amidst the temporal, and can often be spotted at satsangs or at ashrams where they both relax as well as imbibe Indian philosophy from gurus.

Subhash Chandra, for one, is known to practice vipasana at Igatpuri. Samir Jain spends three to four months, according to sources, at an ashram in Haridwar. However, he does not follow his mother, Indu’s Jain’s guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, but has his own spiritual guru.

Most don’t get the time to read, beyond the odd business magazine, and the daily newspapers, and even a fond reader like Bajaj says he hasn’t ever read fiction in his life. Ambani’s reads are management books and technical journals, though a new interest is books on the life sciences and stem cell research.

But a Mallya or a Mittal aside, most Indian billionaires tend to be like Bajaj who says: “I have no hobbies at all, and I do not collect any art, cars or accessories. I spend most of my time working.” If that’s true, who are the people who’re buying out Louis Vuitton and Bulgari? Well you might ask. Our billionaires might be busy making more money, but thankfully they have spouses and families who understand style – and do their bit to make sure the earning billionaires know how to spend it too.