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Fortune India Magazine - August 2025

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In this issue

INDIA'S TOP 100 BILLIONAIRES

International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised the growth forecast for the Indian economy for 2025 and 2026 to 6.4%, marginally higher than the estimates it put out in April. India, therefore, continues to be the fastest-growing major economy, a tag it has held for some time now. And despite the challenges posed by the global headwinds, India’s growth engine continues to chug along. A key component of this engine is India Inc., which has shown enormous dexterity in navigating choppy waters. Fortune India’s marquee special issue, India’s Top 100 Billionaires, comes against this background. And as the numbers show, despite the challenges, the billionaires driving the country’s top corporate houses have managed to hold their own, powering the India growth story. This year, the billionaires list, curated by Fortune India in association with wealth advisory firm Waterfield Advisors, is restricted to the Top 100.
We also get you insights into some of these storied billionaires, from the relentless growth story of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance to the Gautam Adani-led Adani Group’s dramatic comeback, and the low-profile Radhakishan Damani’s business philosophy. Each of these 100 billionaires on the list is a story of resilience and ambition. Read on.

FAMILY THE STORYTELLER: FROM MELODRAMAS ON TV TO HIGH-OCTANE STREAMING CONTENT, SAMEER NAIR HAS A KNACK FOR UNDERSTANDING CONSUMER PULSE.

MEDIA AND entertainment industry veteran Sameer Nair literally lives, breathes, and sleeps content. While his day job as MD of Applause Entertainment entails creating highly engaging content for streaming platforms, Nair also unwinds with shows. He is currently binge-watching multiple shows—Pierce Brosnan starrer MobLand, and Landman, set in the oilfields of Texas. It is inevitable for a professional storyteller to think shop even while he is consuming content to entertain himself. “My team gets both recommendations as well as instructions,” he laughs.

6 mins

FROM BROWNIES TO BAGS: PRIVATE EQUITY, NOT VENTURE CAPITAL, IS FUELLING ACTIVITY ON DEAL STREET.

PRIVATE CAPITAL markets seem to be buzzing, the turbulent global geopolitical landscape notwithstanding.

2 mins

DANCING IN TUNE: AT THE FORTUNE INDIA BOARDROOM, LEADING BANKERS AND EXPERTS HIGHLIGHTED THAT THE TIME IS RIPE FOR THE BANKING SECTOR TO TAKE CUES FROM THE CENTRAL BANK AND MATCH ITS PACE.

A 100-BASIS-point repo rate cut, liquidity release of ₹2.5 lakh crore by slashing the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 1%, eased project finance and gold finance norms, and relaxed liquidity coverage ratio allowing banks to assign lower liquid assets against digital deposits—the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is not mincing words.

3 mins

Beyond the Stethoscope

Building a system that nurtures, not just heals.

2 mins

Reinvigorating India's Manufacturing Momentum

Manufacturing growth may falter without urgent course correction.

2 mins

Defence imperative for strategic sovereignty

India needs to have full-spectrum self-reliance in defence.

3 mins

How the Best Boards Balance Oversight and Management

With the right balance, boards can be catalysts for enduring success.

3 mins

The IIP Conundrum

DESPITE INDIA'S STATUS AS ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING GLOBAL ECONOMIES, ITS INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT TELLS A MORE SOBERING STORY. IS THE INDUSTRIAL ENGINE FALTERING BENEATH THE SURFACE OF HIGH HEADLINE GDP GROWTH?

6 mins

BACKBENCHER TO FRONT RUNNER

FROM BEING A DISJOINTED FMCG COMPANY IN 2020, WITH A PRESENCE ONLY IN TEA AND SALT AND ITS READY-TO-DRINK PORTFOLIO A NON-PERFORMER, THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAVE SEEN TATA'S CONSUMER BUSINESS EMERGE AS A STRONG FOOD AND BEVERAGES CONTENDER ON THE BACK OF ACQUISITIONS, A REJIG OF ITS DISTRIBUTION NETWORK, AND A PIPELINE OF INNOVATIONS.

10+ mins

RELENTLESS MAVERICK, GIANT BETS

RIL'S GAMEPLAN: DOUBLING DOWN ON DIGITAL, RETAIL, AND GREEN ENERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE HYPER-GROWTH.

4 mins

TELECOM TITAN

WITH SHARP BETS ON 5G AND CAPITAL DISCIPLINE, SUNIL MITTAL RANG IN PROFITS, AND THE BIGGEST WEALTH GAIN AMONG INDIA'S TOP 100 BILLIONAIRES.

5 mins

THE PHANTOM OF D-STREET

RADHAKISHAN DAMANI, WHO BUILT DMART BRICK BY BRICK, IS AN ENIGMA—SPOKEN OF BY ALL, DEFINED BY HIS SILENCE.

6 mins

SPOTLIGHT ON A DOSE OF SPECIALTY

WITH SPECIALTY MEDICINES CONTRIBUTING 20% TO ITS OVERALL REVENUES IN FY25, SUN PHARMA DOUBLES DOWN ON INNOVATION AS SHANGHVI SHIFTS ROLES.

5 mins

A FORCE FOR GOOD, FOR GROWTH

FROM ULTRATECH'S CEMENT SUPREMACY TO HINDALCO'S MASSIVE CAPEX PLAN, KUMAR MANGALAM BIRLA IS FUTURE-PROOFING THE ADITYA BIRLA GROUP WITH BOLD BETS ACROSS SECTORS.

5 mins

A LEGACY OF CARE

FROM A SINGLE CENTRE TO INDIA'S LARGEST PRIVATE HOSPITAL CHAIN BY BEDS, RANJAN PAI HAS RESHAPED HEALTHCARE WITH BOLD BETS AND BIG VISION.

3 mins

THE BUILDERS OF EMPIRE

REAL ESTATE TYCOONS RIDE ON THE LUXURY HOUSING BOOM TO BOOST GROWTH.

4 mins

LUXURY HOUSING GOLD RUSH

A WAVE OF RECORD-BREAKING DEALS IS RESHAPING INDIA'S LUXURY HOUSING MARKET. THE WEALTHIEST ARE INVESTING IN AMENITY-RICH APARTMENTS. IS THIS A LASTING SHIFT OR ANOTHER REAL ESTATE BUBBLE?

5 mins

CHEMICAL TITANS ON A BUMPY RIDE

BUT STRATEGIC SHIFTS AND DOMESTIC DEMAND WILL HELP TIDE OVER SHORT-TERM HEADWINDS, SAY ANALYSTS.

3 mins

STARTUPS' WEALTH PLAY

BESIDES DIRECT HOLDINGS, FOUNDERS ARE INCREASINGLY TURNING TO TRUSTS AND FAMILY OFFICES TO BUILD LONG-TERM WEALTH.

5 mins

APPETISERS MEET THE AFFLUENT

FROM SOUNDS AND EFFECTS BLENDING WITH FINE DINING TO THE 'CUISINE OF THE SUN'— HERE ARE SOME PLACES THAT BILLIONAIRES WITH REFINED PALATES MUST VISIT.

2 mins

Coup from the South

The rise of south Indian cuisine in global fine dining can be attributed to a new generation of Michelin star chefs who are proud of their roots, bold in their techniques, and unafraid to take their home flavours into new spaces.

6 mins

BILL GATES' $200 BILLION MOONSHOT

INSIDE THE BIGGEST BET ON HUMANITY A PHILANTHROPIST

7 mins

CAN ONE FOUNDATION CHANGE LIFE ON EARTH?

IT’S JUST a routine checkup, standard for participants in a clinical trial, but when Alice, a South African shop clerk in her forties, visits the Be Part Yoluntu Centre for research, she wears her best outfit: trousers, a blouse, and short heels.

10+ mins

MELINDA FRENCH GATES BELIEVES THE LIGHT WILL WIN

MELINDA FRENCH GATES, at 60, is setting her own agenda: Four years after her divorce from Microsoft founder Bill Gates, she is dedicating her resources to improving the lives of women and girls in the U.S. through her company, Pivotal Ventures. With her then husband, French Gates cofounded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, and spent over two decades traveling globally to understand the world’s biggest health challenges and how best to utilize a multibillion-dollar fortune to address them. She stepped away from her role at the foundation in 2024, and it was later renamed the Gates Foundation. Fortune spoke with French Gates about what has been achieved in the foundation’s first 25 years, her hopes for the future, and her views on the foundation’s ambitious plan to spend $200 billion over the next 20 years, then close down. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

5 mins

BREAKING BARRIERS

The MPW awards celebrated resilience, reinvention, and leadership.

7 mins

Read all Stories from Fortune India

Fortune India Magazine Description:

Publisher: Business-Media-Pvt-Ltd

Category: Business

Language: English

Frequency: Monthly

Fortune India, is your ultimate guide to business, economy, and leadership. From corporate power moves to disruptive startups, Fortune India bring you deep insights, expert analysis, and inspiring success stories that shape India’s financial and entrepreneurial landscape.

1. Business & Economy – Exclusive reports on market trends, policy shifts, and economic developments. 

2. Leadership & Strategy – Meet the CEOs, founders, and visionaries redefining industries. 3. Wealth & Investment – Smart strategies for investors, market insights, and expert financial advice.

4.  Tech & Startups – The latest in AI, fintech, and innovations driving India’s growth story.

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