India's 100 richest includes only five women

New York, Oct 30: Only five women find a place in India's 100 richest, having a collective wealth of $8.83 billion and accounting for a little over three per cent of the total net-worth of all in the list.

Out of the five women, only two are ranked in the top 50, with the highest ranked being Jindal Group's Savitri Jindal at 14th place ($4.9 billion).

Together, the 100 richest Indians net-worth stood at $259 billion, while the combined wealth of the five richest women stood at 8.83 billion, accounting for just 3.4 per cent, US-based business magazine Forbes said.

Savitri Jindal is the richest women in India with a net worth of $4.9 billion. She is ranked 14 in the list, which is topped by Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani with a fortune of $21 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 fortune decline by close to $10 billion since 2010, amid continuing problems plaguing OP Jindal Group.

"Company halted work in August at two power plants being built in eastern India at cost of $2 billion, following death threats from Maoist rebels. Son Sajjan reportedly plans to sell US steel mill to reduce debt at JSW Steel," Forbes said.

Ms Jindal is followed by Bennett, Coleman & Co's Chairperson Indu Jain, who is ranked 29th with a net worth of $1.9 billion.

Anu Aga of Thermax was ranked 86th on the list with a net worth of $730 million, while Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, with a fortune of $655 million was ranked 96 on the list.

Referring to Ms Shaw, Forbes said she is the "wealthiest self-made woman in India".

Science magazine recently ranked Biocon at No. 6 among the best 20 global biotech employers, ahead of Novo Nordisk and Novartis. An active philanthropist, she recently donated $5 million for a new research unit at her cancer hospital in Bangalore, Forbes said.

Besides, Shobhana Bhartia of the Hindustan Times was ranked 98th on the list with a net-worth of $645 million.

Ms Bhartia chairs and runs listed HT Media, publisher of English daily Hindustan Times, Hindi daily Hindustan and business paper Mint.

PTI