The youngest scion of Asia’s wealthiest man, Mukesh Ambani, Anant Ambani, was recently married in a ceremony that has caught much attention internationally, with it being labelled by some as the wedding of the year. The occasion was graced by a plethora of international celebrities, political figures, and global magnates.
The age-old wedding customs, such as the exchange of garlands and encircling the holy fire, commenced on Friday and ran until the early hours of the subsequent day. Anant’s nuptials with Radhika Merchant were conducted at the Jio World Convention Centre, a property owned by the Ambani family, in Mumbai, as well as the family dwelling.
The weeks leading up to the union were marked by various festive events, seeing performances from celebrated pop icons like Rihanna and Justin Bieber. The four-day-long matrimonial festivities kick-started with a classic Hindu ceremony, and will conclude with a magnificient reception stretching over the weekend.
Invited guests allegedly included prominent British figures such as Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, former Prime Ministers; Amin H Nasser, Chief Executive of Saudi Aramco; alongside renowned celebrities like David Beckham, Adele, and Lana Del Rey among others. However, official confirmation of the guest list has not been provided by the Ambani family.
International guests donned traditional attires crafted by prominent Indian designers, including embroidered sherwanis, a type of long outer coat commonly worn by males in South Asia. Celebrities like John Cena and Nick Jonas were spotted in vibrant sherwanis with white trousers.
Due to the expected influx of guests flying into Mumbai and severe weather disruptions from recent monsoon showers, traffic diversions were put in place near the wedding location from Friday through to Monday. The spectacle and display of luxurious lifestyle that accompanied the wedding has sparked debate about the escalating disparity between the affluent and the economically challenged in India. Particularly, several residents of Mumbai shared their dissatisfaction about the accompanying traffic congestion.
Mukesh Ambani, the groom’s father, is reportedly the ninth wealthiest individual globally, with an estimated net worth of $116 billion (€106 billion), as recorded by Forbes. He sits at the apex of wealth in Asia and heads a multi-industry conglomerate, Reliance Industries, which boasts an annual revenue exceeding $100 billion and has diverse interests, ranging from petrochemical, oil and gas, to telecommunications and retail.
The Ambani family, known for its profound wealth, owns various assets including a $1 billion family estate in Mumbai. This 27-storey complex boasts three helipads, a garage that can accommodate 160 cars, and its own cinema. Anant Ambani, the 29-year-old son, is in charge of the renewable and green energy division of the family’s enterprise. Furthermore, he operates an animal rescue centre sprawling across 3,000-acres in the family’s native region of Jamnagar in Gujarat state.
His bride-to-be, Radhika Merchant, is also 29 and hails from the family of Viren Merchant, a prominent entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry. She holds a position as the marketing director at her father’s corporation, Encore Healthcare, as per the information shared by Vogue magazine.
Critics have accused the Ambani business of leveraging political affiliations for their benefits, during the reigns of the Congress Party-led governments in the 1970s and 1980s as well as the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi post-2014.
Their son’s impending wedding has seen no shortage of extravagance, with the pre-wedding festivities being nothing short of spectacular. A three-day party was organised in March that welcomed 1,200 guests featuring a mix of political luminaries, technology magnates, and Bollywood superstars, not to mention performances by international artists like Rihanna, Akon, and Punjabi sensation, Diljit Dosanjh. Tech moguls such as Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates also graced the occasion.
In the month of May, a three-day cruise was arranged from Italy to France, roving with performances from the likes of Katy Perry and Pitbull, as cited in media accounts.
As part of the nuptial ceremonies, a community wedding was organised for over 50 less fortunate couples on the 2nd of July.
Recently, a pre-wedding concert was organised which saw Justin Bieber take the stage along with Bollywood celebrities like Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, and Salman Khan captivating the audience.