Ambani tops for 12th year in a row, Adani jumps 8 places to second spot: Forbes
New Delhi, Oct 11: The past year has proved challenging for the India's ''wealth creators'' as Forbes' 2019 list of business tycoons saw their total wealth dropping by 8 per cent.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, had said that that the country''s wealth creators help in reducing poverty and deserve respect and encouragement.
"In all, 14 were poorer by $1 billion or more, and nine members from last year's ranks dropped off. More than a third of that decline was due to the remarkable largesse of tech tycoon Azim Premji, who gave away a chunk of his fortune in March and consequently dropped in the ranks to No 17 from No 2," Forbes said.
The Forbes India Rich List 2019 showed industrialist Gautam Adani jumped 8 spots on the list to become the second richest India with net worth of $15.7 billion while Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani maintained his numero uno spot with $51.4 billion.
Ashok Leyland owners Hinduja brothers stood third with a net worth of $15.6 billion, Shapoorji Pallonji Group''s Pallonji Mistry occupied the fourth spot with a $15 billion net worth, Kotak Mahindra Bank's Uday Kotak was ranked fifth with $14.8 billion net worth followed by HCL Technologies'' Shiv Nadar with a net worth of $14.4 billion.
"Mukesh Ambani remains the richest Indian for the 12th year in a row. He added $4.1 billion to his net worth as Jio, a three-year-old telecom unit of his Reliance Industries, became one of India''s biggest mobile carriers with 340 million subscribers," Forbes said.
The list saw six new debutants including Byju's Founder and CEO, Byju Raveendran at no 72 with net wealth of $1.91 billion, Manohar Lal and Madhusudan Agarwal of Haldiram Snacks at no 86 with net worth of $1.7 billion, Rajesh Mehra of Jaquar, at no 95 with $1.5 billion net worth and Sandeep Engineer of Astral Poly Technik with $1.45 billion net worth.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Iran attacks oil tanker near Dubai; Trump warns of strikes on energy sites if Hormuz remains shut
Tel Aviv/Washington: Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Monday after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would target Iran’s energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.
According to a Reuters report, the Kuwait-flagged tanker Al-Salmi is owned by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and was capable of carrying around 2 million barrels of crude. . It was struck in what authorities later described as a drone attack. The company said the incident occurred early Tuesday, causing a fire and hull damage. No injuries were reported and the fire was brought under control, Dubai authorities said .
Oil prices rose briefly following the attack and added to volatility in global energy markets. In the United States, retail gasoline prices crossed $4 per gallon for the first time in more than three years, according to data from GasBuddy, as crude prices moved above $101 per barrel.
Israel said it carried out missile strikes on military infrastructure in Tehran and on sites linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah in Beirut. Explosions were reported in parts of Tehran, with Iran’s Tasnim news agency saying power outages occurred in the eastern Pirouzi district following the blasts.
The Israel Defense Forces said four soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon. In recent days, three peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon were also killed in separate incidents in the same area.
Iran’s military spokesperson said Tehran’s latest wave of missile and drone strikes targeted US military positions at five bases in the region and sites in Israel. Thousands of troops from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division have begun arriving in the Middle East, according to US officials, expanding Washington’s military options even as diplomatic efforts continue.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Reuters Trump wants an agreement with Iranian leaders before a revised April 6 deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, adding that talks were progressing, while public statements from Tehran differed from private communications.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said proposals received through intermediaries were “unrealistic” and maintained that Iran was focused on defending itself.
In a social media post, Trump said that if a deal is not reached soon and the strait is not reopened, the US would strike Iran’s electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island. However, a report in The Wall Street Journal said Trump had told aides he may be willing to end the military campaign even if the strait remains largely closed and address reopening it later. The White House referred to earlier remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the strait would be opened “one way or another.”
The administration has also requested an additional $200 billion in funding for the conflict, a proposal that faces opposition in the US Congress.
