In Mumbai, a wedding reception concluded the extensive celebrations as Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s wealthiest man, saw his youngest son tie the knot with his long-term girlfriend in a lavish affair. The festivities took place at Jio World Drive, a convention center owned by the Ambani family, as part of the “Mangal Utsav” (festival of Bliss) marking what many termed as the wedding of the year.
Anant Ambani got married to Radhika Merchant, the daughter of pharmaceutical moguls Viren and Shaila Merchant. The wedding ceremonies, which included rituals like exchanging garlands and circumambulating the sacred fire, commenced on Friday and wrapped up early Saturday.
Renowned personalities like former British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, John Cena, and Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, and Salman Khan, graced the celebrations over Friday and Saturday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi blessed the couple at a Saturday reception held by the Ambanis, showcasing the billionaire family’s stature. Mukesh Ambani mentioned to The Times of India that this marked the final and most auspicious ceremony in their family, although the exact expenditure on the festivities was undisclosed.
The Ambanis hosted a series of extravagant events over several months, including performances by Rihanna and Akon during a three-day pre-wedding celebration in March, on-deck concerts by the Backstreet Boys and Pitbull during a four-day European cruise in May, and a masquerade ball with Katy Perry’s live performance. Justin Bieber capped off the festivities with a traditional music night in Mumbai.
Mukesh Ambani, the world’s ninth-richest man with a net worth of $116 billion, heads Reliance Industries, a conglomerate with annual revenue exceeding $100 billion across various sectors like petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecoms, and retail. The Ambani family boasts assets like a $1 billion, 27-story family compound in Mumbai featuring three helipads, a 160-car garage, and a private movie theater.
The groom, 29-year-old Anant, manages the conglomerate’s renewable energy expansion and operates a 3,000-acre animal rescue center in Gujarat state. The bride, also 29, acts as the marketing director at Encore Healthcare, her father’s pharmaceutical venture, as per Vogue.
Critics of Ambani claim his company leveraged political ties during previous Congress Party-led governments in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as during Modi’s leadership since 2014.
