The City of Nawabs has produced some serious wealth creators who’ve made their mark far beyond Uttar Pradesh. From energy drink moguls to steel innovators and infrastructure titans, these business leaders have built empires worth thousands of crores. Let’s rank them from the top down, with all the details about what they do, where they live, and how they built their fortunes.
Why Lucknow’s Wealthy Prefer to Stay Under the Radar
Unlike Mumbai or Delhi’s flashy billionaires, Lucknow’s wealthy tend to keep things low-key. Most have built their fortunes through manufacturing, infrastructure, and traditional industries rather than tech startups. The city’s business culture values discretion over publicity, which means many substantial fortunes here never make headlines.
What’s changed dramatically is the sheer number—Uttar Pradesh went from just 9 billionaires four years ago to 36 today, with several calling Lucknow home or having strong ties to the city. These aren’t inherited wealth stories either. Most of these fortunes were built from scratch by first-generation entrepreneurs who took massive risks and worked incredibly hard.
1. Manoj Bhargava – The Energy Drink Billionaire
Net Worth: Rs 12,580 crore to Rs 33,000+ crore ($1.5-4 billion)
Current Location: United States (born in Lucknow, 1953)
Business: 5-Hour Energy drink, Arena Group Holdings
Annual Earnings: Company generated $1 billion in retail sales by 2012
Manoj Bhargava tops the list as Lucknow’s wealthiest. Born in the city in 1953, he founded Innovations Ventures LLC, which produces 5-Hour Energy. Forbes valued him at $1.5 billion in 2013, though a 2015 documentary suggested over $4 billion. His family moved to Philadelphia when he was 14, and after dropping out of Princeton, he spent 12 years traveling between India and the US, including time in monasteries.
He launched 5-Hour Energy in 2004, hitting $1 billion in retail sales by 2012. Beyond the energy drink, he owns 65% of Arena Group Holdings (Sports Illustrated, The Street, Men’s Journal) and has pledged 99% of his wealth to charity through his Billions in Change initiative.
2. Sachin Agarwal – The Steel & Aerospace Pioneer
Net Worth: Rs 9,800 crore
Current Location: Lucknow
Business: PTC Industries Limited (Chairman & Managing Director)
Company Headquarters: NH-25A, Sarai Sahjadi, Lucknow
Annual Revenue: Rs 100-500 crore
Sachin Agarwal ranks among Uttar Pradesh’s wealthiest with assets around Rs 9,800 crore. Born in Lucknow, he earned an MBA from the University of Tulsa and M.Sc. in Finance from Boston College before returning home in 1998. He became Managing Director of PTC Industries at just 34 in 2006.
His company, headquartered at NH-25A in Lucknow, manufactures precision steel castings for aerospace, defense, and energy sectors, serving clients like Rolls Royce, Emerson, and Wartsila. The company’s net worth increased by 107% recently, with revenues between Rs 100-500 crore.
3. Anil Kumar Singh – The Infrastructure Titan
Net Worth: Rs 4,100 crore
Current Location: Lucknow (originally from Faizabad/Ayodhya)
Business: Apco Infratech Private Limited (Founder & Managing Director)
Company Headquarters: B-9 Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow
Annual Revenue: Rs 6,649 crore
Anil Kumar Singh has built a Rs 4,100 crore fortune through infrastructure development. Born in Faizabad, he started as a petrol pump owner in 1988 before co-founding Apco Infratech in 1992 at age 25. The company now has a net worth exceeding Rs 3,316 crores with annual revenues of Rs 6,649 crores.
Headquartered in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Apco Infratech handles major projects including highways, metros, tunnels, and irrigation works. Notable projects include the Varanasi-Shaktinagar Road and the Z-Morh Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir providing all-weather connectivity.
4. Subrata Roy – The Fallen Empire Builder (Deceased)
Net Worth: Rs 25,000+ crore (at peak, disputed)
Location: Lucknow (moved base in 1990s, died November 2023)
Business: Sahara India Pariwar (Real Estate, Finance, Media)
Former Residence: 130-acre palace, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow
Subrata Roy founded Sahara India Pariwar in 1978, which Time magazine called India’s second-largest employer after Indian Railways. He moved to Lucknow in the 1990s, building a vast empire across real estate, finance, media, and hospitality with over 9 crore claimed investors. He died on November 14, 2023, at age 75 in Mumbai.
His story ended controversially—he spent time in Tihar Jail from 2014 over a Rs 24,000 crore investor refund dispute with SEBI. In 2025, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation took possession of his sprawling 130-acre Gomti Nagar palace, marking the dramatic fall of his once-mighty empire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the absolute richest person from Lucknow?
Manoj Bhargava holds this title. Though he lives in the US now, he was born in Lucknow in 1953 and founded 5-Hour Energy. His net worth ranges from $1.5 billion to possibly over $4 billion (Rs 12,580 crore to Rs 33,000+ crore).
Are there any billionaires actually living in Lucknow right now?
Yes, though the exact number isn’t publicly confirmed. Sachin Agarwal of PTC Industries (Rs 9,800 crore) and Anil Kumar Singh of Apco Infratech (Rs 4,100 crore) both have their headquarters in Lucknow and strong ties to the city. Many wealthy families prefer privacy and don’t publicize their residence details.
What happened to Subrata Roy’s Sahara empire?
Subrata Roy died in November 2023 at age 75. His empire has largely collapsed—the Lucknow Municipal Corporation seized his 130-acre Gomti Nagar palace in 2025. SEBI continues legal proceedings to recover investor funds, with around Rs 15,646 crore in recovered assets.
How do Lucknow’s rich compare to India’s wealthiest?
Lucknow’s wealthy are substantial but don’t match the mega-billionaires like Mukesh Ambani or Gautam Adani. However, Uttar Pradesh has seen explosive growth—from just 9 billionaires four years ago to 36 today, showing the state is rapidly catching up.
What industries make people rich in Lucknow?
Manufacturing (especially aerospace and steel), infrastructure development, real estate, and FMCG dominate. Unlike metros focused on tech and finance, Lucknow’s wealth comes from traditional industries and construction. The city is also seeing growth in education technology and beverage bottling sectors.
What This Means for Lucknow’s Future
The presence of these business leaders points to something bigger—Lucknow is transforming from a city known primarily for its cultural heritage into a serious industrial and business hub. With the Lucknow Metro expanding, IT parks being developed, and infrastructure investments pouring in, the city is positioning itself as a major player in India’s economic growth story.
The success of companies like PTC Industries and Apco Infratech demonstrates that world-class businesses can be built and run from tier-2 cities, something that would have seemed unlikely just two decades ago. This is changing the narrative about where entrepreneurial success can happen in India.
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