4 Telugus make it to Hurun India’s top-100
From pharma to infra, Telugu states contribute over 120 of India’s wealthiest, signaling a shift from IT to healthcare and heavy industry
The latest M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 shows how Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh are strengthening their position in India’s billionaire map. While Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru dominate the rankings, Hyderabad stands fourth with 102 entrants, led by Murali Divi and family of Divi’s Laboratories, whose wealth is estimated at Rs91,100 crore, making him one of India’s top pharmaceutical tycoons.
At the state level, Telangana features 109 individuals and Andhra Pradesh has 12, a significant rise from six in 2021, which together account for more than 7 per cent of India’s wealthiest.
Hyderabad’s strong presence is largely due to its reputation as the “Pharma Capital of India.” Murali Divi, the founder of Divi’s Laboratories, is ranked the third-richest pharmaceutical entrepreneur in the country after Cyrus Poonawalla of Serum Institute and Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharma. This confirms the city’s deep pharmaceutical ecosystem, which continues to attract global research and investment. From Andhra Pradesh, industrialists like GM Rao and family of the GMR Group with Rs31,340 crore wealth represent the rise of infrastructure and airport ventures as major sources of wealth creation.
Apollo Hospitals, founded by Pratap Reddy and family, though headquartered in Chennai, also traces its roots to Andhra Pradesh, highlighting the state’s healthcare-driven entrepreneurship. Hyderabad’s 102 entrants put it ahead of Chennai with 94 and close to Bengaluru with 116, showing that the city has moved beyond IT to build strength in pharma, biotech and infrastructure. The 2025 list itself features 1,687 individuals across 91 cities, with India now home to 358 dollar billionaires compared to just 59 in 2012. Pharmaceuticals lead the list with 137 entrants, and Hyderabad is a major contributor to this trend. For Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the findings highlight a transformation from IT and agriculture-led economies to pharma, infrastructure and healthcare-driven wealth. With second-generation entrepreneurs and globally educated heirs set to take charge, the Telugu states are expected to expand their share in India’s rich list in the years ahead.
