India’s billionaires list is fast growing, but it’s still very much an old boys’ club. Mukesh Ambani, who tops the list, is 58, and the average age is well north of 60. These industrialists have made their wealth in traditional businesses, and industries like petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and cements dominate. But there are some exceptions.
There are 2 men on the list who are decades younger than everyone else. They didn’t inherit their wealth, or have famous surnames. They got there because they started a company and it happened to do really well, really quickly. Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal are the youngest people on India’s billionaire list, and Binny, at 33, pips Sachin by a few months to be India’s youngest billionaire.
For some context, the next youngest person on the list is Indiabulls Chairman Sameer Gehlaut, who is 42. Sachin and Binny Bansal are ranked no. 86 on the list with identical net worths of $1.3 billion, or Rs. 9,000 crore. Mukesh Ambani maintains his top position with a net worth of $18.9 billion. India is home to the 3rd highest number of billionaires globally.
But for startup enthusiasts, the list offers a lot of hope. It shows that with 9 short years, a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, it’s possible to break into clubs that were once the privilege of an exclusive few.