Roshni Nadar makes history, becomes 1st Indian to be part of the world's top 10 richest women list

Roshni Nadar Malhotra, chairperson of HCL Technologies, has made history by becoming the first Indian to be named among the world's top 10 richest women in the Hurun Global Rich List 2025.

In the Hurun list, women who secured spots in the top 10 include Alice Walton (Walmart), Francoise Bettencourt Meyers (L’Oréal), Julia Koch & family (Koch Industries), Jacqueline Mars (Mars), MacKenzie Scott (Amazon), Miriam Adelson & family (Las Vegas Sands), Abigail Johnson (Fidelity), Marilyn Simons & family (Renaissance), and Linda Stephens & family (Endeavor Energy Resources).

With a net worth estimated at about Rs 3.5 lakh crore, she is now ranked fifth on the list. She climbed the charts after her father, Shiv Nadar, transferred a substantial 47% stake to her in HCL Corporation and Vama Sundari Investments (Vama Delhi).

A milestone stake transfer  

Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL Technologies, gifted his daughter close to half of his stake in the group as part of a long-term succession plan.

This transfer leaves Roshni Nadar Malhotra in control of voting rights for Vama Delhi's 44.17% stake and HCL Corp's 0.17% stake in HCL Technologies, as well as voting rights over another large share in HCL Infosystems.

She has been chairperson of HCL Technologies since July 2020 and is also a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation, which has built top-ranked educational institutions in India.

Implications for HCL and the broader rich list  

The move puts Roshni Nadar Malhotra at the forefront of strategic decisions for HCL Technologies, which earns an estimated $12 billion in annual revenue. Her leadership role highlights a smooth handover of responsibilities in one of India's leading IT services companies.

According to the Hurun Global Rich List 2025, other Indian billionaires continue to make waves. Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries has reclaimed his title as Asia's richest person.

Gautam Adani ranked second in India, saw a major jump in his wealth, while Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharmaceutical and Azim Premji of Wipro rounded out the top Indian names.

Hurun's list this year features 3,442 billionaires worldwide, marking a 5% increase over last year and a 13% rise in their collective wealth.

Beyond business  

Roshni Nadar Malhotra is not only steering HCL Technologies but also engaging in extensive philanthropic work. Through the Shiv Nadar Foundation, she has helped establish prominent schools and universities, emphasizing better access to quality education. She is also involved in wildlife and habitat conservation efforts through The Habitats Trust.