Meet Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal, a successful Indian billionaire who has a towering net worth of Rs 16,723 Crore

Vedanta Ltd, which is owned by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal, has announced its second interim dividend for the financial year 2023-2024. The dividend is valued at Rs 11 per share, which amounts to Rs 4,089 crore. The announcement comes after its subsidiary, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, declared its second interim dividend of Rs 6 per share - the lowest in five years. The metals & mining company (Vedanta Ltd) stated in its BSE filing: "We wish to inform you that the Board of Directors of the Company, in its meeting held today i.e., on Monday, December 18, 2023, has approved the Second Interim Dividend of Rs 11/- per equity share i.e. 1100% on the face value of Rs 1/- per equity share for the financial year 2023-2024 amounting to Rs 4,089 crore."

Earlier this year, the board of directors at Vedanta approved the first interim dividend of Rs 18.50 per equity share. While the announcement of the second interim dividend has created a lot of buzz on the internet, let's take a look at Vedanta owner and chairman Anil Agarwal's successful journey, net worth, total business worth, and more.

Meet Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal, a successful Indian billionaire who has a towering net worth of Rs 16,723 Crore

Born in Patna (Bihar), Anil Agarwal studied at Miller High School in his hometown. After completing his education, he decided to assist his father, Dwarka Prasad Agarwal, who ran a small aluminium conductor business. At the age of 19, he left his home and headed to Mumbai to pursue his dreams. After facing initial difficulties, Agarwal bought the Shamsher Starling Corporation in 1976 by taking a loan. He then established Sterlite Industries in 1993 and expanded his empire by purchasing Madras Aluminium and venturing into the mining industry.

After establishing himself in the metal industry, Agarwal acquired a 51% stake in Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) in 2021 followed by a 65% stake in Hindustan Zinc Limited the next year. In 2003, Agarwal founded Vedanta Resources in London, which became the first Indian company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Known as the 'metal king' of India, Agarwal opened up about his journey on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, "When I first arrived in Mumbai, bahut mushkil waqt dekha. I had very little but always knew I wanted to do something big."

Talking about the help he received from the people around him, Agarwal added, "Uss waqt many people helped me, sometimes with their words, sometimes with their small actions - from local chai wale bhaiya jo udhaar pe chai pilaate the, to sewadaar at Syndicate Bank who guided me when I needed a loan for my business."

He continued, "Ye chhoti chhoti cheezein gave me confidence that my dream of a business can come true. aaj mein jo kuch bhi hoon it's only because of the people who came forward to empower me. Entrepreneurship can be a very lonely experience and if you know someone who is on this journey, try to empower them in some way, big or small."

According to Forbes, Anil Agarwal's estimated net worth is $2.01 billion (approximately Rs 16,723 crore). The valuation of Vedanta Ltd currently stands at $12.49 billion (approximately Rs 1,03,919 crore), according to Mint.