Skip to main content

Growth of Indian millionaire population down from 26% to 1.1%, reports top multinational consultants Capgemini

By Rajiv Shah
In a significant report, the latest "World Wealth Report" (WWR) 2016 has revealed that the rate of growth of the high net worth individuals (HNWIs) of India has grown by just 1.1 per cent, from 198,000 to 200,000, as against 26.3 per cent, as reported in the "Asia-Pacific Wealth Report 2015".
An earlier report, “World Wealth Report 2014”, shows that while in 2012 there were 151,000 NHWIs in India, which went up by a mere two per cent in 2013 to reach 153,000. NHWIs are defined as those having investable assets of US$ 1 million or more, excluding primary residence, collectives, consumables, and consumer durables.
An annual exercise undertaken by well-known multinational consultants Capgemini with offices in 40 countries, the "Asia-Pacific Wealth Report 2015" had said pointed towards how, "following marginal growth in 2013, India recorded the latest gains -- for the region and globally -- in NHWI population (26.3 per cent) and wealth (28.2 per cent).”
High net worth individuals (in thousand)
Calling the global HNW Insights Survey as the "most thorough and expansive of its kind, with over 5,200 responses from thousands of HNWIs across 23 countries", the consultants say, it reveals that the HNWIs currently hold "less than one-third of their financial wealth with wealth managers."
The WWR 2016 points to how "strong NHWI growth in Netherlands (7.5 per cent) caused it to move ahead one place to the 11th ranking, switching places with India, which had growth of only 1.1 per cent."
Noting a major rise among India’s NHWIs in 2014, the Associated Press had, in a report titled, "Want to be a millionaire? Move to India", had said in June 2015 that India had registered "the biggest percentage gain among major countries", with the "total number of Indian millionaires — 198,000 — fast closing in on Italy", which had "219,000 millionaires last year."
Despite a sharp fall in the growth of number of NHWIs in India, the report claims that China and India remains the “biggest areas of HNWI wealth expansion through 2025”, insisting, “Asia-Pacific's expected growth momentum would help catapult HNWI wealth globally to new heights. Markets are expected to drive NHWI wealth growth through 2025 -- 27.5 per cent China, US 21.8 per cent and India 13.4 per cent, UK 10.5 per cent.”
“Growth oriented investors dominate in most markets, but are especially prevalent in Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan)”, the report states, adding, “In the this region, 68 per cent of NHWIs in India, 63 per cent in China and 61 per cent in Indonesia define themselves as growth investors.”
High net worth individuals (in thousand)
At the same time, the report says, “Although we were correct in forecasting that Asia-pacific would overtake North America as the world's largest HNWI wealth centre, it took longer than we anticipated. Our prediction, made in 2009 World Wealth Report of the shift occurring in 2013 was off by two years.”
It added, “A slowdown in key Asia-Pacific economies, including China and India, tempered HNWI wealth growth, delaying the region's move to the top spot until 2015. The final unexpected trend of the last 20 years has been the persistently high levels of cash held by HNWIs.”
The report further notes, “Despite overall strong stock market performance around the globe, HNWIs have continued to hold almost a quarter of their financial wealth in cash, an allocation they perceive as necessary to fund their lifestyles as well as to protect against market volatility. Given these conditions, HNWIs appear unlikely to change the nature of their cash allocations over the next decade.”

Comments

TRENDING

'Threat to farmers’ rights': New seeds Bill sparks fears of rising corporate control

By Bharat Dogra  As debate intensifies over a new seeds bill, groups working on farmers’ seed rights, seed sovereignty and rural self-reliance have raised serious concerns about the proposed legislation. To understand these anxieties, it is important to recognise a global trend: growing control of the seed sector by a handful of multinational companies. This trend risks extending corporate dominance across food and farming systems, jeopardising the livelihoods and rights of small farmers and raising serious ecological and health concerns. The pending bill must be assessed within this broader context.

Delhi Jal Board under fire as CAG finds 55% groundwater unfit for consumption

By A Representative   A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India audit report tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on 7 January 2026 has revealed alarming lapses in the quality and safety of drinking water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), raising serious public health concerns for residents of the capital. 

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’

Why economic war waged by US has created the situation for Iran's turmoil

By Vijay Prashad   Iran is in turmoil. Across the country, there have been protests of different magnitudes, with violence on the increase with both protesters and police finding themselves in the morgue. What began as work stoppages and inflation protests drew together a range of discontent, with women and young people frustrated with a system unable to secure their livelihood. Iran has been under prolonged economic siege and has been attacked directly by Israel and the United States not only within its borders, but across West Asia (including in its diplomatic enclaves in Syria). This economic war waged by the United States has created the situation for this turmoil, but the turmoil itself is not directed at Washington but at the government in Tehran.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra*  The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat*  As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

Zhou Enlai: The enigmatic premier who stabilized chaos—at what cost?

By Harsh Thakor*  Zhou Enlai (1898–1976) served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 1949 until his death and as Foreign Minister from 1949 to 1958. He played a central role in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for over five decades, contributing to its organization, military efforts, diplomacy, and governance. His tenure spanned key events including the Long March, World War II alliances, the founding of the PRC, the Korean War, and the Cultural Revolution. 

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...