New Delhi. Bharat Jain is a unique individual who is recognized as the richest beggar in the world with a net worth of ₹7.5 crore. The 54-year-old man, who lives in India’s financial capital Mumbai, has been begging for over 40 years, often seen begging for 10 to 12 hours a day.
He frequents prominent places like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Railway Station (CSMT) or Azad Maidan, where he can earn between ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 per day. Despite his ordinary appearance and profession, Jain is a wealthy man, owning valuable property in Mumbai. He lives with his wife, two sons, brother and father in a 2BHK flat in Parel, which is worth ₹1.2 crore. Their children have received education in prestigious private schools, and they have catered to their educational needs.
Jain’s family is not happy with his begging habit and often advises him to give it up, but he ignores their concerns and continues begging. He enjoys begging and is adamant about not giving up his lifestyle. He claims that begging gives him pleasure and insists that he does it not out of compulsion but by choice. He says that he is not greedy but generous, often donating money to temples and charities.
Jain is not the only beggar who has amassed wealth through begging in India. Others, like Sambhaji Kale, who has a net worth of ₹1.5 crore, and Lakshmi Das, who has a net worth of ₹1 crore, have also earned substantial amounts from begging. These beggars are part of the thriving begging industry in India, which is estimated to be worth ₹1.5 crore.