MUMBAI: Reports that some four percent of the world's billionaires are Indians has been met with both excitement and resentment, including outspoken anger by much of the country's lower classes. Overall, some 48 Indians are billionaires, in addition to 9 Indian-origin citizens living in Thailand, Ireland, Indonesia, the UK and the US. “It is wrong to be that rich in this country,” said Rajav, who lives in the Andheri East area of Mumbai, amidst under-development and poverty. He told Bikyamasr.com that while he is not suffering “greatly,” it is “the other people in slums across this country who could benefit.” He argued that the billionaires “should give back, maybe 500 million to the country to give people a chance.” The net worth of India's billionaires is a staggering $194.6 billion. But in the Coloba area of Mumbai, a flourishing upper-middle-class neighborhood, with restaurants and shops lining the streets, the sentiment was more towards respect and aspiration. “It is what we all aspire to,” said restaurant owner. “We all want to see India get better and develop and we are getting there, so yes, these people should do more for the country, but we should not necessarily get angry at them for being rich. We should tell them to give back,” he added to Bikyamasr.com. The news hit the front pages of almost all Indian newspapers on Friday, with the headline seemingly seeking to put the question to the people: is this India? For local journalists, both Indian and foreign, the question begs the answer of what India does this represent. One foreign journalist simply said it was “a crime” that these people have this much money, pointing to the poverty on almost every street corner. Topping the list of India's wealthiest was Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, who has an estimated worth of $22.3 billion and is ranked 19 overall. “Mukesh Ambani is the world's richest Indian, despite losing $4.7 billion in the past year,” read the Forbes report on the richest across the world. ArcelorMittal Chairman Lakshmi Mittal is only two spots behind Ambani at number 21, with a net worth of some $20.7 billion, despite Forbes reporting the man lost $10.4 billion last year, more than anyone on the list, and is the first time he dropped from the top 10. Still, Indians like Rajav are frustrated at the slow rate of improvement in their daily life as the wealthiest in the country continue, in their words, to “do little for us regular Indians.” He argued that if “these people are so wealthy, why don't they think to give back to the country they are from. At least this would help India, a country they so often are representing to others.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/yNs6u Tags: Anger, Billionaires, India, Wealth Section: Business, Latest News, South Asia
