Indian top most 50 powerful peoples

Lakshmi Mittal richest Indian; Gates tops Forbes list
Dharam Shourie , New York: Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal is the richest Indian and Microsoft Corporation Chairman Bill Gates with an estimated net worth of USD 50 billion retains his title as the richest man in the world for the twelfth consecutive year.

According to the Forbes magazine annual survey, Gates fortune increased 7.5 per cent from USD 46.6 billion last year.

The magazine said strong markets around the world contributed to the increase in wealth and the total net worth of the list jumped to USD 2.6 trillion.

Gates is followed by 75-year old investor Warren Buffett of the United States with net worth of USD 42 billion and Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim Helu with USD 30 billion and Ingvar Kamprad of Sweden, founder of Ikea, the world's biggest home furnishing retailer, with USD 28 billion.

Non-resident Indian steel tycoon Mittal finds fifth place among the world's richest with a net worth of more than USD 20 billion. The 55-year-old dropped two places to fifth with USD 23.5 billion dollars, down USD 1.5 billion.

Azim Premji, who owns 82 per cent of the New York listed Information Technology giant Wipro is second richest Indian with an estimated net worth of 11 billion dollars.

Mukesh Ambani with net worth of 7 billion dollars, army officer turned property baron Kushal Pal Singh (5 billion dollars), Sunil Mittal, who built his Bharti Group into India's largest mobile phone operator with 14 million customers (4.9 billion dollars) and Kumar Birla (4.4 billion dollars) are among those who find place among the top ten richest persons in India.