Six women in Forbes India rich list



New York 19 Nov 2009

Savitri Jindal is the richest with a net worth of $12 billion; She is followed by Bennett, Coleman & Co’s Chairperson Indu Jain

As many as six women, including O. P. Jindal group chairperson Savitri Jindal and Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, have made it to the Forbes’ list of 100 richest Indians this year.

Ms. Jindal has retained the tag of being the richest woman in India with a net worth of $12 billion, according to the annual India rich list compiled by business magazine Forbes.

She is ranked seventh in the list, which is topped by Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh Ambani with a fortune of $32 billion.

Ms. Jindal, who has been the chairperson of the O. P. Jindal Group since her husband Om Prakash’s death in 2005, saw her wealth grow by $9 billion since November 2008, when Forbes had last published its annual India rich list.

She is followed by Bennett, Coleman & Co’s Chairperson Indu Jain, who is ranked 19th with a net worth of $2.4 billion. Ms. Jain continued to witness a spurt in her fortune with her wealth rising by $600 million since November 2008.

Anu Aga of Thermax group and Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar Shaw have been ranked 55th and 73rd with a net worth of $935 million and $730 million respectively.

Referring to Ms. Shaw as “pharma tycoon,” Forbes called her “India’s richest self-made woman, whose Biocon is developing the world’s first oral insulin.”

Besides, Shobhana Bhartia of the Hindustan Times and Vidya Murkumbi of Shree Renuka Sugars have also made it to the Forbes list this year.

The 52-year-old Ms. Bhartia, Chairperson and Editorial Director of the Hindustan Times group has been ranked 76 with a net worth of $690 million.

Ms. Murkumbi is ranked 93rd.

According to the list, Ms. Murkumbi along with her son Narendra Murkumbi, has a net worth of $490 million.

The magazine said, “Net worths were calculated using stock prices and exchange rates as of October