570 Indians earn over Rs 100 crore a year; number of billionaires up 300% in 5 years
Data from the Indian Finance Ministry reveals a significant increase in the number of taxpayers reporting annual incomes of Rs 100 crore or more. The count rose from 142 in 2021-22 to 576 in 2025-26, highlighting a rapid growth in the country's ultra-high-net-worth population.
Why it matters
The surge in high-income earners sparks ongoing national debates regarding economic inequality and the distribution of wealth in India.
The club of India's ultra-rich just got a lot more crowded. The number of individuals reporting an annual income of Rs 100 crore or more rose to 576 in Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26, according to data shared by the Union Finance Ministry in Parliament. The figues for the same in AY 2024-25 was 415.The figures were provided by Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in a written reply on Monday (July 27), in response to a question on whether the government had observed an increase in the number of billionaires in the country.Five years ago, in AY 2021-22, only 142 taxpayers reported annual incomes of at least Rs 100 crore.The latest figure of 576 represents an increase of more than 300% in the country's highest-income taxpayers over the period.THE BILLIONAIRE CLUB OF INDIA IS GROWINGThe numbers have climbed steadily, albeit with a brief dip.
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