India's Wealthy Prioritise Active Management, Low-Risk Bets: Hurun Survey

India's millionaires may be bullish on the economy. But when it comes to investing, most remain more cautious than daring. Nearly a third (29%) are opting for an active wealth management philosophy this year, while only 17% identify as risk-takers, according to the Mercedes-Benz Hurun India Luxury Consumer Survey 2025.

India's affluent, with a net household worth of Rs 8.5 crore or more, still prefer low-risk investments when parking their wealth.

Stocks, real estate and gold continue to dominate their portfolios, with equities leading at 22%. Property (21%) and gold (18%) follow closely, while fixed-income instruments account for just 12% of their portfolios.

When asked about their investment strategy for the next three years, 22% of India's millionaires plan to boost investments in real estate. This is followed by gold (20%) and equity (19%). Startups, at 13%, also stand out on this list.

On the flip side, 16% of Indian millionaires plan to cut exposure to fixed income as well as riskier categories like crypto, stocks and art (14% each).

The Mercedes-Benz Hurun India Luxury Consumer Survey 2025 tracks luxury consumption habits of India's rich and affluent.

When it comes to investing overseas, the US remains the top destination, with 19% of millionaires preferring investments there. This is followed by the UAE (18%) and Singapore (14%).

Domestically, Maharashtra leads as the preferred state for wealth deployment by a significant margin, with a staggering 43% of survey-takers preferring investments in the state over any other.

Gujarat and Karnataka are also among the top investment destinations for India's affluent.

The same survey also notes that the number of millionaire households in India has surged to 8.71 lakhs, marking a growth of 90% since 2021.