33 billionaires and counting, Bengaluru witnesses fastest growth of super rich

Agencies
March 8, 2019

Bengaluru, Mar 8: As India's tech hub, Bengaluru has more billionaires and ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) than 5 years ago, said global property consultancy Knight Frank in its Wealth Report 2019 on Thursday.

"Bengaluru has 33 billionaires in 2018 as against 30 in 2017 and 26 in 2013, registering 10 per cent annual growth and 27 per cent over the last 5 years," said the London-based consultancy in the 13th edition of its annual wealth report.

Similarly, the number of UHNWIs grew 8 per cent to 98 in 2018 from 91 in 2017 and 72 in 2013, registering 36 per cent cumulative growth point average (CGPA).

The list of billionaires include Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Wipro chairperson Azim Premji, Infosys' Narayana Murthy and Shibulal, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, founders of Flipkart, Manipal group CEO Ranjan Pai and former Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani among others.

Over the next 5 years, Bengaluru will have 40 billionaires and 137 UHNWIs, projecting 22 per cent increase among the former and 40 per cent CGPA among the latter.

"Bengaluru to witness fastest growth of the rich globally by 2023 when it will have 40 billionaires and 137 UHNWIs, projecting 22 per cent CGPA among the former and 40 per cent among the latter since 2018," said the report.

Though as a whole, India will also see 39 per cent growth of UHNWIs by 2023, Mumbai and Delhi are likely to see 38 per cent CGPA growth over the next 5 years.

"Bengaluru is the first amongst the top 5 'cities of the future' along with Hangzhou in China, Stockholm in Sweden, Cambridge in Britain and Boston in the US," said the report.

The report also identifies the world's top cities that support wealth creation, including innovation indicators, wealth forecasts and economic growth that improve a city's growth prospects, such as infrastructure.

"Bengaluru is the first amongst five eye-catching 'cities of the future' based on their economic potential. This growth, backed by its intrinsic potential arising from strong economic fundamentals, will attract investments both from domestic as well as institutional sources," said Knight Frank Chairman Shishir Baijal in a statement.

Termed 'Future Cities' of the world, these cities demonstrate characteristics that will propel wealth creation as well as future property investment.

"Bengaluru is home to global firms such as Infosys, Wipro and Flipkart and over 400 multinationals, including Microsoft, Hitachi and Samsung," said the report.

Bengaluru has made a commitment to create a knowledge economy by investing in education centres, including the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-B), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL). 

"The garden city's broad ecosystem of innovation offers multiple opportunities for growth, reflected in the rise of new age technology firms across sectors, including artificial intelligence, food technology, financial technology and robotics," said the report.

According to Knight Frank Research Head Nicholas Holt, despite a softening momentum in the region's economies, growth prospects in Asia remain favourable in the medium term. 

"While China's economy is expected to slow, emerging markets such as India and the Philippines will deliver some of the strongest growth over the coming years," said Holt.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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