The wedding of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is set to be a grand affair, with festivities already in full swing despite the actual ceremony being scheduled for July. The Ambani family, known for their extravagant celebrations, has once again captured the world’s attention with a three-day prenuptial bash in Jamnagar, a small city in western India.
The guest list for this pre-wedding celebration reads like a who’s who of global elites, featuring pop superstar Rihanna, tech moguls Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Ivanka Trump, and Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan. The event marks the beginning of a series of lavish festivities leading up to the wedding of Anant Ambani, 28, and his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant, 29. Radhika is the daughter of Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., and entrepreneur Shaila Merchant.
Mukesh Ambani, 66, is currently the world’s 10th richest man with a net worth of $115 billion, according to Forbes. His conglomerate, Reliance Industries, boasts annual revenues exceeding $100 billion, with interests spanning petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecoms, and retail. Under his leadership, Reliance launched the 4G phone and broadband service Jio in 2016, sparking a telecom price war in India. Today, Jio has over 420 million subscribers and offers 5G services. Recently, Disney struck an $8.5 billion deal to merge its India business with Reliance Industries, creating a new media giant.
The Ambani family resides in a 27-story private apartment building named Antila in Mumbai, valued at $1 billion. The building features three helipads, a 160-car garage, a private movie theater, a swimming pool, and a fitness center. Critics argue that Reliance Industries has thrived due to political connections, particularly during the Congress governments of the 1970s and 80s and under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule since 2014.
Mukesh Ambani has begun passing the torch to his children. His oldest son, Akash Ambani, is now the chairperson of Reliance Jio; his daughter, Isha, oversees the retail division; and the youngest, Anant, who is set to wed in July, has been inducted into the new energy business.
Extravagant parties are a hallmark of the Ambani family. In 2018, Mukesh Ambani made headlines with the grand celebrations for his daughter Isha’s wedding, which included a performance by pop sensation Beyoncé. Former U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry were among the guests who mingled with Indian celebrities and Bollywood stars in Udaipur. The couple also celebrated their engagement overlooking Lake Como in Italy before tying the knot at the Ambani residence in Mumbai.
The three-day pre-wedding bash for Anant and Radhika offers a glimpse of the opulence expected at their July wedding. The celebrations are taking place in Jamnagar, the family’s hometown, which also houses Reliance’s main oil refinery. Guests are treated to jungle-themed outfits for a visit to an animal rescue center run by Anant. Known as “Vantara,” or “Star Of The Forest,” the 3,000-acre center houses abused, injured, and endangered animals, particularly elephants.
The invitation specifies that guests will start each day with a new dress code, with mood boards and an army of hair stylists, makeup artists, and Indian wear designers at their disposal. Traditional Hindu ceremonies are also part of the festivities, held in a temple complex.
Many guests arrived by chartered planes and are being served 500 dishes prepared by around 100 chefs. The guest list includes notable figures such as Mohammed Bin Jassim al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar; Stephen Harper, former Canadian prime minister; and Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema. On Wednesday, the Ambani family organized a community food service for 51,000 people living in nearby villages.
The wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant is not just a union of two individuals but a display of the Ambani family’s economic and political clout. The celebrations have already captivated the country and the world, offering a glimpse into the life of one of the most influential families in Asia.
Source: AP, Reuters
