In the realm of opulent Indian weddings, Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s wealthiest individual, is set to elevate the extravagance quotient as he hosts pre-wedding festivities for his son, 28-year-old Anant Ambani. The grand affair, anticipating no expense spared, is a precursor to Anant’s upcoming nuptials with childhood sweetheart Radhika Merchant, the 29-year-old daughter of Indian billionaire Viren Merchant.
While the wedding itself is scheduled for July, a three-day pre-wedding celebration commenced on Friday, Mar. 1, at the Ambani family’s refinery township in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The guest list boasts some of the most prominent names from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and the entertainment industry. Notable attendees include Rihanna, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Fink, Sundar Pichai, Stephen Harper, Kevin Rudd, Ivanka Trump, Gautam Adani, Kumar Mangalam Birla, and a lineup of Indian cricketers and Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.
The anticipated presence of Disney CEO Bob Iger follows Mukesh Ambani’s announcement of an $8.5 billion merger with Disney over its India media assets, a transformative deal in the rapidly expanding entertainment market.
The extravagant pre-wedding celebrations are unfolding in the Ambanis’ 3,000-acre garden, featuring a mango orchard at their home estate. Alongside a performance by Rihanna and illusionist David Blaine, guests are expected to attend a glitzy cocktail party with a “jungle fever” theme, visits to the Ambanis’ animal rescue center, and a lavish gala boasting over 2,500 dishes prepared by a team of 65 chefs. Attendees are offered a range of services, including hair styling, makeup, saree draping, and charter jet flights.
Mukesh Ambani, with an estimated net worth of $111 billion, currently holds the title of Asia’s richest person and the 11th richest globally. The tycoon oversees the diversified Reliance conglomerate, spanning petroleum refining, retail, telecommunications, food, and digital streaming services. As the orchestrator of a succession plan, Ambani’s family, including wife Nita and children Isha, Akash, and Anant, is poised to inherit his $243-billion empire.
Anant Ambani, the groom-to-be, currently serves as a director at Reliance’s new energy business and the Reliance Foundation. Engaged to Radhika Merchant in a traditional ceremony last January, Anant’s upcoming wedding mirrors the grandeur associated with the Ambani family. The Ambanis, known for hosting the most expensive Indian wedding in 2018, continue to captivate the world with their lavish celebrations, epitomizing India’s luxury wedding market, which sees an annual spending of over $75 billion on weddings.
