India's Wealth Disparity

Two hundred super-rich people in India had assets worth $500 million or more in 2017, an increase of 18% from 170 in the previous year.  In the five years through 2017, the number of Indians with wealth of $500 million or more grew by 43%. In the next five years, it is estimated to grow by 70%.

 In the five years through 2017, the number of Indians with wealth of $500 million or more grew by 43%. In the next five years, Knight Frank estimates it will grow by 70%.

As for the mere multi-millionaires, with wealth at $5 million or more, India had 47,720 of them last year. Their number has risen 56% in the last five years and will rise by 71% in the next five years.

For perspective, it's estimated the average wealth per adult in India is $5,976 in 2017. The median wealth per adult Indian was estimated at $1,295. 

India tops the world hunger list with 194.6 million undernourished. It has the world's largest number of homeless and landless persons. It has the world's highest number of malnourished and hungry children. Some 68 percent of prisoners are in pre-trial detention. At least 5,650 Indian farmers committed suicide in 2014. 

The richest 5% of the Indian population own 64.1% of the country’s wealth.

The number of multi-millionaires, for example, was up 20% globally in the last five years—for India, the increase was 56%. In 2016-17 alone, they increased by 21%.