- India’s richest business owners—Ambani, Adani, Poonawalla, Maran, Jindal, Birla, Goenka, Singhania, Kalyani, and Sankeshwar—use private jets based in India to save time and run their companies across cities and continents.
Private Jet Owners in India
Private jets are more than just status symbols in India. For the country’s richest business leaders, they are a means of transportation that helps them move faster than airlines, maintain privacy in sensitive negotiations, and cover multiple cities or continents in a single day.
While commercial air travel in India is booming with record passengers and new airlines, the private jet segment remains small—fewer than 150 jets are on the national register. Within this exclusive club, however, are fleets that rival those of charter operators in Europe or the Middle East.
These jets are often fitted with master bedrooms, boardroom-style meeting areas, and lounges that could pass for a luxury hotel. Their owners—Ambani, Adani, Poonawalla, Maran, Jindal, Birla, Goenka, Singhania, Kalyani, and Sankeshwar —use them as much for business continuity as for comfort. Here’s an in-depth look at the top 10 private jet owners in India, what they fly, and what those choices say about them.
Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, commands the largest fleet of private aircraft in India. His flagship is the Boeing Business Jet 737 MAX 9 (VT-AKV), effectively a private airliner with space for bedrooms, a boardroom, and a lounge. It allows the Ambani family or top Reliance executives to fly long-haul routes such as Mumbai to Tokyo or London without refuelling.
Beyond the BBJ, the Ambanis operate an Airbus A319 ACJ, two Dassault Falcon 900EX jets, a Bombardier Global 6000, a Global Express, and an Embraer Legacy 600. With more than 10 business aircraft, the Ambani fleet dwarfs that of any other Indian family. Each aircraft serves a role: Falcons for shorter regional hops, Globals for nonstop links to Europe and North America, and the BBJ for family or entourage travel.
- Approximate fleet size: 10+ aircraft
- Range: BBJ 737 MAX 9 can fly ~11,000 km nonstop
- Highlight: India’s only billionaire with both a BBJ and multiple Globals
Gautam Adani
Gautam Adani’s aviation interests extend beyond airports to his personal fleet, managed by Karnavati Aviation. His mainstay is the Bombardier Global 6500 (VT-AGL), one of the newest business jets in India, capable of connecting Ahmedabad to London nonstop. Supporting it are two Embraer Legacy 650s (VT-AML and VT-AHM), which are used for medium-haul trips to the Middle East or Southeast Asia.
The fleet reflects Adani’s style of doing business: pragmatic and efficient. The Global 6500 ensures he can travel long distances without losing time, while the Embraer’s give flexibility for regional movements. For a businessman who is constantly engaging with partners in ports, airports, power, and finance, his jets are not an indulgence but infrastructure.
- Approximate fleet size: 3 jets
- Range: Global 6500 covers 12,000 km
- Highlight: Balanced fleet covering both international and regional needs
Cyrus and Adar Poonawalla
The Poonawalla family, known globally for the Serum Institute of India, is also respected in aviation circles for running Poonawalla Aviation, a company that manages their private fleet and charters. Their jets—a Bombardier Global 6500 (VT-NAD), a Bombardier Global 6000 (VT-CDP), and an Airbus H145 helicopter—form one of the most versatile private aviation setups in India.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these aircraft became crucial assets. They allowed the Poonawallas to quickly travel between Pune, London, and Geneva for vaccine negotiations and supplies. The Globals, with their blue liveries carrying the family insignia, have since become regular visitors at major European airports.
- Approximate fleet size: 2 jets + 1 helicopter
- Range: Global 6500 can link Pune–New York nonstop
- Highlight: Only billionaire fleet in India also offered on charter
Kalanithi Maran
Kalanithi Maran, the Chennai-based media tycoon, owns India’s only Bombardier Global 7500 (VT-SRH). This jet is a marvel of modern aviation, offering a range of over 14,000 km and interiors divided into four living zones. It can fly Chennai–San Francisco or Delhi–Los Angeles without stopping, something few aircraft in the world can manage.
The Global 7500 is painted in pearl white with golden accents, making it one of the most eye-catching Indian aircraft abroad. For Maran, whose Sun TV Network spans television, radio, and newspapers, and who once controlled SpiceJet, the jet is a natural extension of his media empire’s global reach.
- Approximate fleet size: 1 jet
- Range: 14,000+ km
- Highlight: India’s first and only Global 7500 owner
Jindal Family
The Jindal family, led by Naveen Jindal, uses private aviation to link its steel and power projects across India, Africa, and the Middle East. Their fleet includes a Global 6000 (VT-JSY), a Global Express (VT-JSB), and an Embraer Legacy 135 (VT-JSI).
The Embraer is especially interesting: it has been used almost like a corporate shuttle, flying groups of executives between plant sites. The Globals, on the other hand, allow Jindal family members and senior managers to travel to London or Dubai without refuelling. The liveries are simple and understated, reflecting the group’s no-nonsense industrial image.
- Approximate fleet size: 3 jets
- Range: Global 6000 flies 11,000 km nonstop
- Highlight: Uses an ERJ-style jet as a corporate shuttle
Kumar Mangalam Birla
Kumar Mangalam Birla has kept his aviation choices simple and premium. His Gulfstream G550 (VT-BRS) is one of the most capable jets in the world, with a range of 12,500 km. It allows him to travel directly from Mumbai to New York, London, or Sydney without a fuel stop.
The G550 is known for its understated elegance, and Birla’s use of the aircraft mirrors his public image—quiet, professional, and world-class. Its cabin can seat up to 14 passengers and convert to sleeping berths, making it as much a rest space as a flying office.
- Approximate fleet size: 1 jet
- Range: 12,500 km
Sanjiv Goenka
Sanjiv Goenka, head of the RP-SG Group, owns a Bombardier Global 5000 (VT-SHG). It is painted with the group’s starburst motif, making it stand out on airport ramps from Kolkata to London.
The Global 5000 combines range with versatility, covering 9,600 km and linking Indian metros to Europe and Asia. It has been a consistent part of Goenka’s business network, allowing him to manage companies across energy, retail, and sports.
- Approximate fleet size: 1 jet
- Range: 9,600 km
- Highlight: Distinct branding on tail makes it instantly recognisable.
Gautam Singhania
For Gautam Singhania, chairman of Raymond, aviation is both a necessity and a hobby. A licensed pilot, he sometimes flies or co-pilots his Bombardier Challenger 604 (VT-NGS). The Challenger, while not as modern as a Global or Gulfstream, has a respectable range of 7,400 km and remains a reliable aircraft.
Singhania’s passion for machines is well known—from supercars to yachts—and the Challenger fits that lifestyle. It is often used for travel within Asia and Europe, linking him to fashion capitals as well as business hubs.
- Approximate fleet size: 1 jet
- Range: 7,400 km
- Highlight: Only billionaire-owner in India who pilots his own jet
Baba Kalyani
Industrialist Baba Kalyani of Bharat Forge flies a Dassault Falcon 900EX (VT-SBK). The Falcon’s tri-jet design gives it performance advantages, particularly the ability to land on shorter runways. This makes it useful not just in major European cities but also in secondary airports closer to clients.
The 900EX seats around 12 passengers in comfort and offers a range of 8,300 km. For a company that partners with leading automotive and defence manufacturers, the jet is a practical tool to stay connected with global partners.
- Approximate fleet size: 1 jet
- Range: 8,300 km
- Highlight: Falcon 900EX chosen for flexibility and shorter runway access
Vijay Sankeshwar (VRL Group)
The logistics baron behind VRL built a small but distinctive business-aviation footprint around the Beechcraft Premier 1A light jet. The best-known airframe is VT-VRL (msn RB-219)—often photographed in a yellow-accented VRL scheme—which spotter records identify as the company’s jet through the 2010s.
Another Premier 1A, VT-ANF (msn RB-128), was also associated with the group after VRL acquired a second aircraft of the same type in FY 2013–14 (ex-Force Motors), giving the team a nimble, short-runway option for quick hops between Hubballi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and beyond.
As of July 2025, industry reporting shows VT-VRL active under the NIBE Aeronautics NSOP certificate (after a storage spell at Bengaluru HAL and a return-to-service test flight in May 2025), suggesting the airframe’s current operation is no longer directly with VRL, even though its VRL-era history is well documented.
The Rumored Names
Some names circulate often in gossip columns but lack verified aircraft today. Anil Ambani was once linked to a Falcon 2000 and a Global Express, but no jets are active under his companies now. Amitabh Bachchan is frequently rumored to own a Challenger 300, though most evidence suggests he charters. Atul Punj, of Punj Lloyd, was associated with Gulfstreams in the past, but his company’s financial struggles cast doubt on current ownership.
Why These Fleets Matter
These fleets show how India’s richest families conduct business:
- Time machines: Nonstop flights save hours on long-haul journeys.
- Flying boardrooms: Cabins are fitted with meeting tables, satellite phones, and bedrooms.
- Brand symbols: Distinctive liveries act as airborne calling cards.
For Ambani, Adani, Poonawalla, Maran, Jindal, Birla, Goenka, Singhania, Kalyani, and Reddy, jets are not indulgences. They are tools that keep pace with the speed of global markets.
Every time a private jet lifts off from Mumbai or Delhi, it represents more than luxury. It signals how India’s billionaires are thinking and working: globally, quickly, and with absolute control over their schedules. For the country’s most powerful families, the sky is not the limit—it is the highway their empires depend on.
Also Read: Untapped Potential of Business Jets in an Encouraging Market
