By Kavita Mistry 
Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal has outpaced India’s top billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani in terms of year-on-year wealth growth in 2025, despite having a lower overall net worth. Mittal’s net worth surged by $4.3 billion (₹36,712 crore), driven by Airtel’s strong performance in the telecom and digital sectors.
Market Rally Fuels Billionaire Surge
The global stock market rally, sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 90-day tariff relief, played a key role in boosting billionaire fortunes across the board. As investors regained confidence, Airtel’s stock soared, increasing Mittal’s total net worth to $20.6 billion — the highest YoY growth among Indian tycoons.
Airtel’s Strong Performance
Airtel benefited from rising data consumption, aggressive digital expansion, and strong subscriber growth in the telecom sector. These factors positioned Sunil Mittal as the fastest-growing billionaire in India this year, even though he trails Ambani and Adani in overall rankings.
Ambani and Adani Still Lead in Total Net Worth
While Mittal led in 2025 wealth gains, Mukesh Ambani remains India’s richest person with a net worth of $94.1 billion, followed by Gautam Adani at $62 billion. Both tycoons saw gains this year — Ambani’s wealth grew by $3.54 billion, driven by Reliance’s momentum in energy, digital, and retail sectors. Adani added $900 million to his wealth, rebounding from earlier setbacks.
Tariff Relief Sparks Optimism
The market optimism that fueled these gains followed Trump’s tariff easing, which had a ripple effect on global equity markets and billionaire portfolios. With India’s telecom and digital sectors booming, Sunil Mittal’s sharp rise marks a significant reshuffling in billionaire rankings — at least in terms of growth momentum.
In a year where geopolitical shifts and policy changes shaped fortunes, Mittal’s strategic positioning in telecom and digital appears to have paid off the most.