On one side of the coin, India is a country struggling to deal with issues of poverty and illiteracy. On the other side of the coin, India is home to many billionaires. This year Forbes Magazine has listed the top 100 richest Indians. It just goes to show that there are lots of examples of talented, established and reputable Indians. Let’s look at a few of these fascinating people of 2010 :

Mukesh Ambani is the chairman of Reliance Industries with a personal fortune estimated to be $29 billion. Mukesh Ambani wasn’t always a billionaire. He grew up modestly in a two bedroom apartment with his parents and siblings. Mukesh Ambani is the billionaire of billionaires not just in India, but in the world. At one point of his career his wealth exceeded Bill Gates!

Lakshmi Mittal is the executive of ArcelorMittal, one of the world’s largest steelmaking companies. His personal wealth is estimated to be at $28.7 billion. Lakshmi Mittal was born into a wealthy steelmaking family. He grew up to work for his family, but branched out from the family business to form his own company. Ever since then he’s been making more money than his father.

Azim Premji is the chairman of Whipro with a fortune of $17 billion. He is my personal favorite billionaire because he is known for his humble lifestyle. Despite having so much money he drives a Toyota Corolla and has a foundation in his name called The Azim Premji Foundation. The Foundation tries to solve some of the social problems that plague Indian society.

Savitri Jindal is India’s richest woman with her net worth totaling $12.2 billion. She has also dabbled in politics to take the place of her husband’s position as Minister of Power when he died in a helicopter crash. Before her husband’s death Savitri Jindal was content to be a stay-at-home wife and mother, but after her husband’s death she has made more public appearances.

Anil Ambani is the younger brother of Mukesh Ambani. His personal fortune is calculated to be at $13.7 billion. Anil Ambani’s life has been a source of tabloid fodder. His clashes with his brother, links to Bollywood actresses, a rumored assassination attempt and a big loss of $32.5 billion in the recession of 2008 have kept him in the constant spotlight.