Roshni Nadar Malhotra, chairperson of HCL Technologies, has made history by becoming the first Indian woman to rank among the top 10 wealthiest women in the world. According to the Hurun Global Rich List 2025, she secured the fifth position with an estimated net worth of Rs 3.5 lakh crore (US$40 billion).
Her rise in the rankings followed a 47 per cent stake transfer from her father, Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL Technologies. This strategic move placed her in control of Vama Sundari Investments (Vama Delhi) and HCL Corp, the promoter entities of HCL Technologies. With this transfer, Roshni Nadar Malhotra assumed full oversight of the $12 billion technology giant, taking charge of all strategic decisions.
As a result of this transaction, she gained control over voting rights for Vama Delhi’s 44.17 per cent stake and HCL Corp’s 0.17 per cent stake in HCL Technologies, as well as voting rights over Vama Delhi’s 12.94 per cent stake and HCL Corp’s 49.94 per cent stake in HCL Infosystems. Before the transfer, Shiv Nadar held a 51 per cent stake in both Vama Delhi and HCL Corp, while Roshni Nadar Malhotra owned 10.33 per cent in both entities.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra, who became the chairperson of HCL Technologies in July 2020, leads one of the world’s most prominent technology firms, which has a market valuation of $48 billion. She also serves as the head of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Board Committee of HCL Technologies.
A graduate of Northwestern University, she pursued her MBA at the Kellogg School of Management, where she was recognised with the Schaffner Award in 2023 for her contributions to philanthropy. She is actively involved in the Shiv Nadar Foundation, a non-profit organisation that manages more than $1.2 billion in leadership and education programmes. One of her key initiatives is VidyaGyan, a leadership academy in Uttar Pradesh that nurtures talented students from low-income backgrounds.
Roshni Nadar Malhotra is also a global board member of The Nature Conservancy and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the MIT School of Engineering. She has been consistently featured among Forbes’ Top 100 Most Powerful Women since 2017 and, in 2024, was awarded France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.
The Hurun Global Rich List 2025 included 561 female billionaires, of whom 224 were self-made, highlighting the growing economic influence of women worldwide. Alongside Roshni Nadar Malhotra, several other high-profile women dominated the rankings:
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers (France) – US$67 billion
The L’Oréal heiress retained her position as the world’s wealthiest woman despite her fortune dropping by 26 per cent due to challenges in the global cosmetics market.
Alice Walton (USA) – US$76 billion
The Walmart heiress overtook Bettencourt Meyers as the richest woman in the world, with her wealth soaring by 46 per cent following a surge in Walmart’s share price.
Jacqueline Mars (USA) – US$53 billion
The Mars Inc. heiress saw her wealth grow by 33 per cent, driven by the booming pet food industry.
Julia Koch & Family (USA) – US$60 billion
Following the death of her husband, David Koch, Julia Koch inherited significant wealth. Koch Industries’ investments continue to generate substantial profits for the family.
Abigail Johnson (USA) – US$32 billion
The CEO of Fidelity Investments increased her net worth by 14 per cent, overseeing assets under management totalling nearly US$400 billion.
The Hurun Global Rich List 2025 featured 3,442 billionaires from 71 countries, reflecting a 5 per cent increase in billionaires compared to the previous year. Their total wealth grew by 13 per cent.
India had a strong presence in the rankings, with Gautam Adani retaining his position as the second-richest person in India, ranking 18th globally. Dilip Shanghvi, the founder of Sun Pharmaceutical, secured the fourth position in India, followed by Azim Premji of Wipro in fifth place.
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