India might have not scaled up the list of the world’s most developed nations, but it definitely has produced some of the finest and most successful business minds. The country is home to thousands of millionaires, most of whom are business tycoons. The Ambani brothers- Mukesh and Anil, Ratan Tata, Vijay Mallya, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, and Deepak Parekh are few of the many famous entrepreneurs produced by the country. Their business empires are not just confined to India, but are spread across different continents. However, we should not forget that Globalization did play a significant role in the financial growth of these individuals. They are also credited for having reduced the employment woes of the youth to a certain extent, by opening plenty of doors for the average ‘well-educated, yet unemployed’ man through their firms. The lavish lifestyles of some of these entrepreneurs have also grabbed the attention of the paparazzi from all across the globe, including the west. The successes of these individuals have started a new wave of entrepreneurship in India. This is a positive change in a nation which has otherwise been heavily dependent on government jobs for decades. Read on and find all about their life stories, timelines and also acquaint yourselves with some interesting facts & trivia related to their lives.
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Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc. An alumnus of IIT, Stanford and Wharton, Pichai has come a long way, from innovating Google’s products such as Chrome, Google Drive and Google Apps to leading the software giant and being one of the most sought-after names in the tech industry.
The richest person in Asia, Mukesh Ambani is an Indian billionaire business magnate. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL). The son legendary Dhirubhai Ambani, he started his career by helping his father build their family business. As of today, he is the only Indian businessman on Forbes' list of the world's most powerful people.
Ratan Tata is a well-known Indian industrialist and the former charman of Indian multinational conglomerate Tata Sons. His reign as chairman was marked by acquisitions of iconic global brands, such as Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover and Corus by the Tata Group. Ratan Tata was instrumental in turning Tata Group from a largely India-centrist group into a global business.
Dhirubhai Ambani was an Indian business tycoon. He is credited with founding Reliance Industries, which is currently the largest company in the country in terms of revenue. Dhirubhai Ambani's life and career inspired the 2007 drama film Guru, in which his character was portrayed by Abhishek Bachchan.
Indian businessman Anil Ambani is the chairman of Reliance Group. Once the sixth richest person in the world, he declared bankruptcy in early 2020 though the veracity of his claim is questionable. He has served in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. He has been involved in many controversies.
Business magnate Azim Premji revolutionized the Indian software industry with Wipro Limited. Twice listed to Time 100, he transformed his vegetable oil and soap manufacturing company to a leading IT solutions brand, through marked diversification. He owns a non-profit foundation and is the first Indian to join The Giving Pledge.
N. R. Narayana Murthy is an Indian businessman who is credited with co-founding one of the most popular and successful Indian multinational corporations, Infosys. While Fortune magazine named him as one of the 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time, Time magazine called him the father of the Indian IT sector. Murthy serves as an inspiration to aspiring businessmen in India.
Gautam Adani, the second-richest man in India, as of 2019, is the chairman of the Adani Group, which he established in 1988. The group specializes in port development and later diversified into logistics, agriculture, energy, and other areas. Adani and his wife, Priti, lead the non-profit Adani Foundation.
Padma Bhushan-winning Indian billionaire businessman Shiv Nadar is known as the founder and chairman of the IT company HCL and the Shiv Nadar Foundation. While he transformed HCL from an IT hardware company into an IT enterprise, by 2021, he also turned himself into the third-richest Indian.
Indian business magnate and ex-politician Vijay Mallya, known for his flamboyant lifestyle, has donned many hats, from running the largest alcohol company in India; to owning a cricket team and an F-1 team; to launching an airline. Following a financial fraud scandal, he is now facing extradition from the U.K.
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala is an Indian investor and businessman. One of the richest businessmen in India, Jhunjhunwala is referred to as the King of Bull Market and the Warren Buffett of India. He is serving as the chairman of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd and Aptech Limited. He is also a member of the board of directors of several companies.
Apoorva Mehta is a serial entrepreneur and a former Amazon.com employee. He founded the grocery delivery and pick-up service Instacart in 2012. An engineer by qualification, he tried to start at least 20 other services, including an ad network for social gaming companies, before launching Instacart. He was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2013.
Cyrus Poonawalla is an Indian businessman who is the chairman of the Poonawalla Group. He is also known as the “vaccine king of India” as his group owns Serum Institute of India that manufactures pediatric vaccines. He is also a generous philanthropist. In 2005, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the president of India.
