Wednesday, March 23 2005 10:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: NRI steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, heading the world's largest steel company, yesterday (Mar 22, 2005) emerged as the richest Asian not only in the UK but also in Europe with an estimated wealth of 13.5 billion Pounds.

While Chinese economic boom facilitated Mittal to more than triple his wealth, the strength of the Indian economy and the revolution in call-centre technology helped S P Hinduja and G P Hinduja, the Hinduja Group's Chairman and President respectively, to be the second richest Asians in Britain with a wealth of 2.1 billion Pounds.

According to the Asian Rich List, the official index of Britain's Top 300 Asian Millionaire published today by Avtar Lit, Chairman of the Sunrise Radio Group, Lord Swraj Paul, the leading NRI industrialist, rises to the 9th position with assets worth 274 million Pounds.

Others figuring prominently in the list are, industrialists, the Jatania Brothers (3rd with 650 million Pounds), Anil Agarwal, chief of Vedanta Resources (mining - 4th with 620 million Pounds), Vijay and Bhikhu Patel (Pharmaceuticals, 5th with 444 million Pounds), Gulu Lalvani (Telecom and tourism, 6th with 400 million Pounds), Tom Singh and family (retailing 7th with 361 million Pounds), Jasminder Singh (Hotels, 8th with 350 million Pounds), Lord Swraj Paul and family (Industry and Hotels, 9th with 275 million Pounds) and Dr Mo Ibrahim (telecom 9th with 275 million Pounds).

Mumbai-born Sir Gulam Noon, founder of the Indian food firm Noon, is in the 34th position with assets worth 65 million Pounds along with Avtar Lit, chief of Sunrise radio (34th with 65 million Pounds).