
FAST
FORWARD
Indias
billionaires have made huge additions to their net worth, with fascinating
strands to the overall weave of wealth
THE
RICHEST INDIANS
A
ranking of 391 billionaires
WELCOME
TO THE CLUB
Indias
most exclusive club has been flooded with new entrants, with as
many as 89 entrepreneurs paying the billion rupee admission fee
BILLIONAIRES
NEXT
Quite
a few are set to storm into the Billionaire Club. We catch up with
a few of them
THE
OTHER BILLIONAIRES
The
interesting unlisted billionaires
SALARIES
UNLIMITED
140
new CEOs join the list of those who earn more than Rs 1 crore a
year
TOP
GROSSERS
Definitive
list of India Inc's top earners
METHODOLOGY
& INDEX
How
we estimated the wealth and earnings of billionaires
|
Charge
of the entrepreneurs
If
anyone needs proof of the growing entrepreneurship in India, all
one has to do is go down the list of members in Billionaire Club
and the point quickly becomes obvious: India is now hospitable territory
for wealth and value creation, and for business success flowing
from vision and drive. The
real story of this magazine is about Indias growing entrepreneurial
class, and the fresh blood that you see in its ranks: the growing
clusters of first-generation entrepreneurs.
One
way of looking at this is to thank the boom on the stock market
since these peoples wealth is calculated on the basis of their
holdings of company stock. But impersonal market forces alone cannot
explain the surge in successful builders of business. The
exponential rise in the number of billionaires is also a result
of the well-earned rewards of massive efforts put in by corporate
managers and owners to dramatically alter the profile of India Inc
during the last few years.
The
extraordinary optimistic message that the rich list (89 businessmen
entered the hallowed portals of the Club this year) throws up is
a simple one with the opening up of the economy, opportunities
have mushroomed in every field, and entrepreneurs have been quick
to grab their chances.
Over
two-thirds of the promoters listed are from small and medium firms,
as our report on the new entrants shows. Billionaire Club is not
only a review of those who have made it big, it is also about looking
at those who are closing in on the magic mark. As our report on
Billionaire Next shows, they all share one thing in common: the
passion for excellence in their chosen field of endeavour.
Several
billionaires have also kept their wealth away from public gaze.
These include a sprinkling of astute businessmen, who keep most
of their businesses private, celebrity actors and real estate tycoons.
This issue has thus taken a close look at the fascinating story
of those who have preferred to remain in the unlisted zone.
While
owning the business is still the best way to book a seat in Indias
most exclusive club, as is evident from the fact that there were
no pure-professional managers among the 17 people who earned Rs
10 crore or more a year, there is no doubt that India Inc is opening
its purse strings to win the war for talent.
That
explains the growing tribe of managers who earn a crore or more
per year. No wonder, Indian salaries, as a whole, are growing faster
than those of other countries in the Asia Pacific. Finally, we hope
you will gain from the wealth of data on Indias super rich
in this issue.
HOME Business
Standard
October
2006
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