Where India's Wealthiest Send Their Children to School

In India, the school a child attends has always said as much about the family they belong to as the address they live at. For the country's millionaires and billionaires, the shortlist is a short one — a handful of institutions, some over a century old, others barely two decades in, that have quietly become the most reliable markers of wealth and ambition in the country. The fees are steep, the entry is competitive, and the alumni networks are, in several cases, the most consequential in India.

The Doon School, Dehradun

Founded in 1935 by Calcutta-based lawyer Satish Ranjan Das, The Doon School was built with one clear intention: to give Indian boys the equivalent of a British public school education, without sending them abroad for it. About 90 years later, the 72-acre campus in Dehradun remains the single most influential name in Indian elite education. The school is boys-only, residential, and accepts students from Class 7 through a competitive entrance examination and headmaster interview. Alumni — referred to as Doscos — include former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Congress leaders Madhavrao Scindia, Kamal Nath, and Mani Shankar Aiyar, and a cross-section of India's most powerful business and political families. At the senior level, students choose between the Indian School Certificate (ISC) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) programmes. First-year costs, including annual fees and one-time charges, are estimated at INR 25 to 30 lakh.

Annual fees: INR 13.62 lakh – 15.62 lakh

The Scindia School, Gwalior

Few schools in India can claim an address quite like this one. Built atop the historic Gwalior Fort in Madhya Pradesh, The Scindia School was founded in 1897 by Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia of Gwalior — originally as The Sardars' School, conceived exclusively for the sons of Maratha nobles and royalty. Now 129 years later, it remains one of the most exclusive boys-only boarding schools in the country, spread across 160 acres with a current enrolment of approximately 600 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1. The school is CBSE-affiliated and accepts students from Class 6 to Class 12. Its director is Union Minister Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, a direct descendant of the founder. The alumni list makes the school's reputation self-evident: Mukesh Ambani, Salman Khan, Sunil Bharti Mittal, and filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya all studied here.

Annual fees: INR 17.17 lakh inclusive of boarding and tuition

Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai

Founded in 2003 by Nita Ambani, with Isha Ambani as vice chairperson, the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Bandra-Kurla Complex is the most visible name on Mumbai's elite school circuit. The school offers CISCE, IGCSE, and IB programmes from Kindergarten to Grade 12, and has become the default choice for Bollywood and business families who want an internationally benchmarked education without leaving the city. Notable alumni include Aryan Khan, Suhana Khan, Ananya Panday, and Khushi Kapoor. Current students include Aaradhya Bachchan, AbRam Khan, Taimur Ali Khan, and Jeh Ali Khan — whose parents' presence at annual day events has, over the years, turned school functions into something resembling a film premiere.

Annual fees: INR 1.70 lakh – 9.65 lakh

Ecole Mondiale World School, Mumbai

Established in 2004 in Juhu, Ecole Mondiale is one of the few fully accredited International Baccalaureate World Schools in India, offering the IB Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma programmes from Nursery through Grade 12. The co-educational campus is fully air-conditioned and Wi-Fi-enabled, with an eight-lane 25-metre swimming pool, five science laboratories, three art and design studios, two drama and dance studios, and a dedicated media suite. Students from Grade 6 onwards are required to bring their own laptops. Its alumni include Aarav Kumar, son of Akshay Kumar, and Nysa Devgan, daughter of Ajay Devgn and Kajol. The school draws primarily from Mumbai's expatriate, NRI, and high-net-worth professional communities, and the majority of its graduating class pursues higher education abroad.

Annual fees: INR 9.50 lakh – 18 lakh

Mayo College, Ajmer

Established in 1875 by British Viceroy Lord Mayo, Mayo College in Ajmer, Rajasthan, was built specifically for the sons of Indian princes and nobles. It is widely referred to as the Eton of India — a comparison that holds not just in reputation but in architecture, with one of the most intact examples of Indo-Saracenic design in any Indian school, spread across a 132-acre campus that includes a heritage polo ground, cricket pitches, and stables. The school is boys-only, residential, and affiliated with the CISCE board. It is a member of the Round Square organisation and the Indian Public Schools Conference, and maintains active ties with several British public schools. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi attended Mayo, as did members of several erstwhile royal families. Today, it continues to draw students from India's landowning, political, and business elite, particularly from Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Annual fees: INR 10 lakh – 12 lakh inclusive of boarding