India, July 28 -- As many as 576 individuals have reported a gross total income of Rs 100 crore or more in their income tax returns in the 2025-26 assessment year, registering a 4-fold growth over the past five years, Parliament was informed on Monday.

This was stated by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in the Lok Sabha in reply to a question on whether the Government is aware that there has been a significant increase in the number of billionaires in the country and that it is among the leading nations in the world in this regard.

In a written reply, Chaudhary said there is no statutory definition of the term 'billionaire' either under the Income-tax Act, 2025 or under the erstwhile Income-tax Act, 1961.

However, the num...