Financial Expert Cites Data On India Creating ‘More Billionaires'. Here's Why Netizens Are Worried

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2 days ago

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Reacting to the post, a user noted that India appears to be skipping the middle-class wealth-building phase, unlike most developed economies.
India is rapidly evolving, especially in the world of business. With a surge in entrepreneurship, more people are starting their own ventures and building wealth. Recently, Akshat Shrivastava, YouTuber and founder of Wisdom Hatch, shared some compelling insights on India's growing economic landscape.
According to him, while India still has fewer billionaires and millionaires compared to global giants like the US and China, the pace at which new billionaires are emerging paints a promising picture. It reflects the expanding business opportunities and the dynamic nature of India's startup and investment ecosystem.
'India has roughly 250 billionaires, just half that of China (which has roughly 520 billionaires). But, the data is very interesting for millionaires (in USD): The US has 22 million millionaires (25X that of India), China has 6 million millionaires (7X that of India), India has 850K millionaires," Akshat wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He pointed out that billionaires are being created faster than millionaires in India. 'One could become a millionaire from a job. But, it is unlikely that one would become a billionaire from a job. India is a land of business opportunities, not necessarily job opportunities," he wrote.
Take a look at his post here:
Akshat's post quickly gained traction online, sparking a flurry of reactions from social media users.
A user commented, 'India is a land of big opportunities. People are mostly focused on jobs that too low-paying. Start-ups and many a businesses get started to take Govt subsidies and cheap loans that seldom get repaid. For others, long-term vision, no handwork, no research and ultimately they fail."
Another said, 'Fair, but India is still early in its wealth cycle. A decade ago, we had around 200K millionaires, today it's 850K. Much of the new wealth is tied up in unlisted startups, family businesses, and real estate, which global data often misses. Also, it doesn't make sense to compare India with the US or China, very different timelines, markets, and maturity levels."
'It probably has a lot to do with the growing startup culture, with companies becoming unicorns quickly — and also failing just as fast," a person shared.
An individual said, 'India doesn't lack ambition. It lacks systems that scale ambition. Until startups > Sarkari (government) jobs in mindset and money, this gap will stay."
Another comment read, 'That's a telling stat, India's billionaire boom is outpacing its millionaire growth, and that says a lot about the nature of wealth creation here. Jobs might get you comfort, but businesses are what bend the curve."
The World Wealth Report 2025 by Capgemini Research Institute noted that India added over 33,000 new millionaires in just one year. The number of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) in India grew by 5.6 per cent, reaching 378,810, which is up from around 345,000 in 2023.
First Published:
June 06, 2025, 15:12 IST