New Delhi, March 2 -- Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani is now the eighth richest person in the world with a fortune of $83 billion, according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2021.

Ambani's wealth increased 24 per cent on a year-on-year basis on the back of a surge in the value of energy-to-telecom giant RIL.

"India's largest exporter, Reliance accounts for 8 per cent of the country's exports and 5 per cent of India's total revenues from customs and excise duty. Reliance is planning a calculated shift to renewable energy and has decided to venture into the battery-making business ahead of the electric vehicle boom," said the Hurun statement.

His rank in the previous Hurun Global Rich List was ninth.

Among the countries, I...