A new report has raised serious questions regarding the distribution of wealth in the country. According to the Center for Financial Accountability, just 1,688 rich people in India own wealth worth about ₹166 lakh crore—about 50 percent of the country’s total GDP. Read on to know what this report reveals.
What does the report say?
This report highlights a larger issue related to economic inequality within the country. It says that the current situation is, to some extent, reminiscent of the inequality prevalent during the colonial period. The report also gives suggestions to correct this imbalance. A shocking disparity has come to light in the recently released ‘Wealth Tracker India 2026’ report, which focuses on the distribution of wealth in the country. The report was published by the Center for Financial Accountability on April 1, 2026, as part of its ‘Tax the Top’ campaign. The report shows that between 2019 and 2025, the wealth of the upper class increased rapidly, while the share of the lower section of society remained unchanged.
Understanding the Big Picture Through Data
According to statistics, the top 1 percent of the country’s population owns more than 40 percent of the total wealth. In contrast, the bottom 50 percent of the population depends on only 15 percent of the total national income. During the same period, the number of people holding assets worth more than ₹1,000 crore has increased by 77 percent. At the same time, his net worth has increased from ₹31 lakh crore to ₹88 lakh crore—an increase of about 227 percent.
the rich are getting richer
Over the past few years, the wealth of the country’s richest families has increased tremendously. The combined net worth of well-known personalities like Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Savitri Jindal, Sunil Mittal and Shiv Nadar increased by almost 400 percent between 2019 and 2025. According to statistics, during the same period, Mukesh Ambani’s personal wealth alone increased by about 153 percent. Meanwhile, Gautam Adani’s wealth increased by 625 percent. The total wealth of these five families was approximately ₹6.68 lakh crore in 2019, which will increase to approximately ₹26.54 lakh crore by 2025.
Government’s income can increase by imposing tax on the rich
The report suggests that imposing a progressive wealth tax on the very rich could significantly increase government revenue. According to the Center for Financial Accountability, if a tax of 2 to 6 percent—plus a one-third inheritance tax—was imposed on the richest 1,688 families, about ₹10.63 lakh crore could be raised every year. This money can be used for social welfare schemes, which will ensure that more help reaches poor families than ever before. Ultimately, this will help reduce the inequality gap between the two economic classes.
