Indian-Origin Tycoons Climb to the Top of the UK Rich List
If you think old money rules the roost in Britain, the UK Rich List for 2022 will make you think again. Sitting right at the top are the Hinduja brothers, Srichand and Gopichand, with a jaw-dropping £28.47 billion. That’s not just a little bump from last year, either—they surged up by £11 billion in just twelve months, knocking out previous frontrunners and leaping two spots from third to first. Their family business, the Hinduja Group, isn’t just dabbling in one corner of the economy; we’re talking massive stakes in everything from vehicles and petroleum to banking and IT. Their leap in fortune doesn’t just show luck or timing, but a serious knack for navigating the UK’s shifting business scene.
The Hinduja brothers’ journey to the top hasn’t been overnight. Their strategy is classic: diversify, invest everywhere, and don’t put all the eggs in one basket. The family’s empire has roots that spread out into over 38 countries, and they manage companies in fields like automotive manufacturing, oil and gas, media, and even healthcare. It’s this ability to find opportunities in different markets that helped them cash in on new business waves, even during unstable economic times like the past two years.
Power Players: Mittal, Agarwal, and the Next Generation
Steel tycoon Lakshmi Niwas Mittal isn’t slouching either. He landed at number six with £17 billion, reminding the world just how strong steel can hold up—literally and financially. Mittal’s company, ArcelorMittal, is the world’s largest steel producer outside of China. As industries returned to pre-pandemic production, the soaring demand for steel shot Mittal back into the spotlight. That’s a hefty increase from the past few years, showing how old-school manufacturing strength still matters in a high-tech world.
Another big hitter is Anil Agarwal, the man behind Vedanta Group, sitting comfortably at 16th place with £9.2 billion. Agarwal, who started out trading scrap metal in Mumbai, now runs a global mining and metals empire. Vedanta wields power in everything from aluminum and copper to oil and gas. His story spells out a familiar pattern: Indian entrepreneurs who cut their teeth in fierce home markets, later riding their business skills toward global empires based in Britain.
You can’t talk about Indian success stories without mentioning a political twist—UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murthy, joined the ranks too. With a combined net worth of £730 million, they might not be in the billionaire club yet, but their inclusion hints at just how wealthy this new generation is becoming. Akshata’s father, N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founded Infosys, one of India’s IT giants, making the family a household name in tech circles and beyond.
This year’s Rich List is sending a clear message. Indian-origin business leaders are defining London’s financial heartbeat, holding heavy influence over everything from boardroom strategies to political debates about money and power. Their expansion goes beyond profits—it’s about the impact on jobs, investments, and global trade, right from the heart of the UK.
The UK’s most successful Indian-origin tycoons are proving you don’t have to be born into British aristocracy to dominate the country's financial landscape. Instead, you need an appetite for risk, grit to build across industries, and the skill to see opportunities where others don’t. If these trends continue, next year’s UK Rich List might have even more new faces—ones with global reach and undeniable ambition.
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