They say one in every 100 Americans is a millionaire. Back home in India one in 15,000 Indians is in the same league. Call them crorepatis or multi-millionaires, one fact is unalterable-their number is growing. At last count, there were 70,000 crorepatis in India-thanks to inspiration from entrepreneurs like Dhirubhai Ambani, tech czars Azim Premji and N.R. Narayana Murthy, and Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, the world's third richest man.

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ROUGH AND TOUGH: Sanghvi has worked hard to make his millions

Madhya Pradesh is a small-scale version of such wealth. Nagpur, which once had only a handful of multi-millionaires, now has 425 crorepatis. Raipur, just a few hours away, has over 100. While Mumbai and Delhi still account for nearly 10,000 crorepatis, middle India is delivering shock and awe, spawning wealth by the district. Thanks to liberalisation, Indians now not only feel connected with the global economy but are also inspired to create their own empires. Fuelled by the near 7 per cent growth over the past three years, more and more Indians find themselves on the seven-figure marquee.

They have earned their spurs not just in the boom sectors of it and banking but in the old economy sectors as well. Most of these crorepatis are self-made. They work hard, are often unconventional and live by their own rules.

25 new crorepatis are created in India every day on an average, according to Merrill Lynch. 9,000 new crorepatis were created in India in 2004. At 14.6 per cent, this was the second highest rate of growth after Australia, and exceeded the 12 per cent growth in china. 300 Indian-Americans have a personal worth of more than $5 million (Rs 21.5 crore) each. 20 lakh Indians earned over Rs 10 lakh a year in 1995-96. By 2010, about 170 lakh will be earning that much.

Like Akanksha Rathi, 25, who moved from Delhi to Indore to create her own destiny, is not quite in that elite group but that does not stop her from thinking big. Within five months of taking charge of the Rathi TMT and TOR factory in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh, she has been able to create brand consciousness in a sector not used to being in the spotlight. The preferred supplier to most builders in central India, Rathi Iron and Steel Industries now boasts of an annual turnover of over Rs 350 crore.

There's also Surendra Sanghvi, owner of Sidhartha Steel Tubes, who built his company from scratch. "I started a fabrication unit in 1972 and later diversified into tubes and pipes. God has been kind," says Sanghvi whose net worth is now over Rs 350 crore with interests in construction, media and real estate.

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SMALL-TOWN CHARM: Rathi feels that people in small towns are more open

But small towns can be notoriously claustrophobic and sceptical of uncommon talent. The Gucci shoes, Chanel bags, fancy cars and a figure to go with it can add dazzle but can as easily be cause for rejection. Success not only requires business acumen but also a connect with the local environment. Rathi found the attachment at a Rotary function when she walked into a hall full of special children. The meagre donations led her to announce that she would take care of their transportation needs.

For Sanghvi too success has come the hard way. Sure, the snobs may sneer at the rope-size gold chains but he couldn't care less. "It's not just our wealth. Think of the 5,000 families we employ." As someone famous says all too often on TV: don't lose hope is the moral of the story.

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