Five Indian women among Forbes World's Billionaires List

New York, Mar 2: Five Indian women have made it to the Forbes list of world's richest people in the world, which saw 190 women billionaires -- a little over 10 per cent of the total count.

Globally the number of women in the coveted rich list declined from last year. Of the total 1,810 billionaires this year, 190 are women, down from 197 in 2015.

Moreover, women still account for just a small percentage - a little over 10 per cent of the total richie rich population. Among the Indian women on the list Savitri Jindal and family was ranked at the 453rd place on the list with a net worth of USD 3.5 billion.

On Jindal, Forbes said, in the past five years, matriarch Savitri Jindal's fortune has declined by close to USD 10 billion due to a downward slide in shares of her O P Jindal group companies.

Indu Jain who chairs media conglomerate Bennett, Coleman & Co, was placed at the 549 rank globally. Her net worth stood at USD 3.1 billion. Others on the list include, Smita Crishna-Godrej ranked 810 on the list with a net worth of USD 2.2 billion.

This is her maiden appearance on the billionaires list by virtue of a one-fifth stake in the family assets.

Meanwhile, low profile heiress Leena Tewari debuted on the billionaires list. She chairs and owns privately held Indian generics maker USV, known for its drugs for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, among much else.Leena Tiwari was placed at 1067 position with a net wealth of USD 1.7 billion.

Vinod Gupta ranked 1577 with assets of USD 1.1 billion, is the wife of Qimat Rai Gupta, who died in November 2014. She inherited her husband's shares in electrical firm Havells India, though she doesn't hold an executive or board position.

Globally, the grand dame of L'Oréal, Liliane Bettencourt and her children were ranked at the top among the richest women in the world. She was placed at the 11th position with a net worth of USD 36.1 billion, followed by Alice Walton ranked 16th with assets of USD 32.3 billion and Jacqueline Mars (27, USD 23.4 billion).

PTI