Nearly three-quarters of Indian entrepreneurs plan to relocate or add a second residency, according to HSBC's Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2026, with Singapore the top destination and 99% already changing or planning to change their business operations in response to AI.
The Global-Mobility Finding
HSBC's Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2026, based on a survey of more than 3,000 high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth entrepreneurs worldwide, found that 74 per cent of Indian entrepreneurs plan to relocate or add an additional residency, broadly in line with the 70 per cent global average. Singapore is the most popular destination, cited by 14 per cent of Indian respondents, followed by France, the UK and the US, each cited by 11 per cent.
AI Adoption Running Ahead Of The Global Average
Indian entrepreneurs are embracing AI faster than their global peers: 99 per cent have already made, or plan to make, changes to their business operations in response to AI, versus 95 per cent globally, and 65 per cent have already adjusted operations for AI's impact, ahead of the 60 per cent global average. More than half, 54 per cent, plan to invest between 11 per cent and 30 per cent of turnover in AI over the next 12 months (versus 61 per cent globally investing at that level).
On jobs, the findings cut against a common fear: 45 per cent of Indian entrepreneurs expect AI to increase employee headcount over the next two years, while 25 per cent expect a decrease. On perceived benefits, 46 per cent see AI helping them gain competitive advantage, 42 per cent see it helping identify new markets, and 39 per cent cite productivity gains and improved margins. The leading concerns are data privacy and security risk (44 per cent), employee resistance driven by job-loss fears (38 per cent), and integrating AI into legacy systems without disruption (35 per cent). Despite these concerns, 54 per cent of Indian entrepreneurs report "a great deal" of trust in AI supporting business activities, versus 46 per cent globally.
Sandeep Batra, Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking at HSBC India, said: "Indian entrepreneurs are approaching AI with ambition, recognising its potential to strengthen competitiveness and support the next phase of business growth... With high levels of trust in AI and a global approach to business, Indian entrepreneurs are well placed to convert technological progress into long-term growth."
Wealth Optimism And Portfolio Choices
Indian entrepreneurs remain strikingly optimistic about their own prospects: 97 per cent expect personal wealth to improve over the coming years (up from 95 per cent in 2025, and above the 90 per cent global average), with 51 per cent expecting their wealth to get "a lot better" versus 44 per cent globally. A similar 97 per cent feel positive about current business prospects (versus 95 per cent globally), citing technological advancements (46 per cent), business performance (42 per cent), and AI advances specifically (40 per cent) as the leading reasons for optimism.
On portfolios, the most commonly held personal investments among Indian entrepreneurs are gold (63 per cent), cash (54 per cent), real estate funds (51 per cent), and private equity funds (48 per cent). Among those who already hold the relevant assets, 71 per cent plan to increase investment in real estate funds over the next year, followed by gold, direct investment in private companies, and infrastructure funds (each at 61 per cent). The leading factors shaping alternative-asset decisions are higher risk-adjusted returns (50 per cent), inflation protection (46 per cent), and portfolio diversification (46 per cent), while the top concerns are lack of valuation transparency (39 per cent), high fees (38 per cent), market-correction risk (36 per cent), and limited liquidity (36 per cent).
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Why It Matters
The juxtaposition in this survey is worth sitting with: 74 per cent of India's wealthiest entrepreneurs are actively planning a second residency or relocation even as 97 per cent say they feel more optimistic than ever about their wealth and business prospects specifically in India. That is not necessarily a contradiction, global mobility and domestic optimism can coexist, particularly for entrepreneurs treating a second residency as diversification (of tax exposure, currency risk, or personal/family options) rather than as an exit from India as a business base. But it does confirm that even genuine confidence in India's growth story is not translating into entrepreneurs choosing to concentrate their personal and family residency entirely within the country, a pattern that has implications for how India's wealth-management and tax policy conversations around HNIs and UHNIs are likely to evolve.
