Asia’s richest man, Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani, hosted a three-day pre-wedding party for his son in March this year. The guest list of 1,200 included former world leaders, tech tycoons, Bollywood stars, and even renowned singer Rihanna, who delivered a stunning performance.
This event made headlines and sparked a social media frenzy, marking just the beginning of their months-long extravagant pre-wedding celebrations.
According to media reports, in May this year, the Ambani family led guests on a three-day pre-wedding procession from Italy to France, enjoying DJ performances by David Guetta, popular songs sung by Katy Perry, and a spectacular show by Pitbull.
On July 2, the billionaire mogul launched the grand finale of his son’s extravagant wedding festivities by hosting a collective wedding ceremony for 52 couples from financially “poor” backgrounds.
The wedding is set to take place next week, with 29-year-old Anant Ambani marrying his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant. This wedding has been dubbed as the event of the year by many.
Amidst this extraordinary wedding, the Associated Press shared some relevant information:
The groom’s father, Mukesh Ambani, aged 66, is currently ranked as the 9th richest person globally by Forbes, with a net worth of $116 billion, also being Asia’s richest individual.
His conglomerate, Reliance Industries, boasts an annual revenue exceeding $100 billion and operates in sectors from petrochemicals, petroleum, and natural gas to telecommunications and retail. The Ambani family’s assets include Antilia, a 27-floor private tower in Mumbai valued at $1 billion.
As a patriarch, Mukesh has begun passing the torch to his two sons and daughter. Eldest son Akash Ambani is the chairman of the telecommunications company Reliance Jio; daughter Isha oversees the retail business, while the soon-to-be groom, Anant, has ventured into the renewable energy sector.
According to details on Reliance Industries’ website, Anant holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University and is in charge of the group’s renewable and green energy expansion efforts.
He also runs a 3,000-acre animal rescue center named “Vantara” in Jamnagar, Gujarat, the hometown of the Ambani family. The luxurious pre-wedding party in March was held there.
According to Vogue magazine, the 29-year-old bride Radhika Merchant is the daughter of Indian pharmaceutical magnate Viren Merchant and serves as the Marketing Director at his company, Encore Healthcare.
She told the magazine that they met in 2017 through a mutual friend and felt a special connection right from their first encounter, leading to them starting to date shortly after.
Reports from local media indicate that the main wedding rituals are scheduled for July 12, followed by a grand reception on July 14.
The celebratory events are expected to take place at the Jio World Convention Center and the Ambani residence in Mumbai.
The wedding date was chosen based on the horoscopes of the couple, following Indian Hindu tradition. Additionally, in line with tradition, several days of traditional wedding activities and ceremonies will precede the wedding.
A video of the couple at the Sangeet Ceremony surfaced on Indian social media on Friday, July 5. During this ceremony, the families of the bride and groom perform dances for the guests.
Reports from local media mention Bollywood stars like Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Salman Khan, along with international sensation Justin Bieber flying to Mumbai for the event.
As part of the pre-wedding celebrations, Mukesh and his family organized a mass wedding for over fifty financially disadvantaged couples on Tuesday.
Luxurious parties are a specialty of the Ambani family, with expectations running high for next week’s activities to attract more celebrities, millionaires, and world leaders.
At the pre-wedding celebrations in March, the guest list included Ivanka Trump, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, former leaders from Canada and Qatar, along with Bollywood A-listers Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.
During his daughter’s wedding in 2018, Mukesh Ambani grabbed headlines for lavish celebrations. In the western Indian city of Udaipur, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and a host of Indian celebrities and Bollywood stars joined the festivities. Pop star Beyoncé performed at the pre-wedding celebrations.