Anant Ambani’s fiancee Radhika Merchant poses for a photo on the red carpet during the sangeet ceremony at the Jio World Center in Mumbai.
Sopa Picture | Lightrocket | Getty Images
All eyes are on this weekend’s mega wedding in India, where the youngest son of Asia’s richest man is preparing to tie the knot with his longtime sweetheart after months of lavish pre-wedding celebrations.
Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani – the richest man in the country and the chairman of the billionaire conglomerate India Reliance Industries – threw a three-day wedding party for his son that started on Friday.
The groom is the son of 29-year-old Anant Ambani and 29-year-old Radhika Merchant, daughter of Viren Merchant, owner of Encore Healthcare.
High-profile guests, from Wall Street executives and global tycoons to celebrities from Hollywood to Bollywood, will descend on the extravagant event that has made media headlines and caused a social media frenzy.
According to some local reports, a traditional Hindu ceremony will be held on Friday at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai, which may lead to road closures and traffic diversions.
Businesses in the Bandra Kurla Complex, where the convention center is located, have also been told to work from home to avoid congestion.
The celebrations will conclude with a grand wedding reception on Sunday.
The Ambani family remains tight-lipped about the star-studded guest list, but several media reports say 16-time Grammy award winner Adele could be among the headliners.
Canadian rapper Drake, boxer Mike Tyson, and internet personality Kim Kardashian will also attend, according to CNBC TV-18, which obtained the guest list from the organizers.
Not only celebrities are invited. Politicians such as former Indian president Ram Nath Kovind and various Indian ministers were also on the guest list, along with former British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair.
Business executives such as HSBC Holdings Chairman Mark Tucker and Samsung Electronics Co Chairman Jay Lee have reportedly been invited as well. Morgan Stanley’s Michael Grimes and FIFA president Gianni Infantino were also on the guest list.
Subscribe now
The groom’s father is currently the eleventh richest person in the world with a net worth of $119 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
He owns a $1 billion family home in Mumbai — a 27-story private apartment building called Antila — that has a movie theater, snow room, helipad, salon, and even an ice cream shop, according to local reports.
Until this weekend’s extravaganza, the couple celebrated a three-day prenuptial party in March in Ambani’s hometown of Jamnagar in the western state of Gujarat.
The event set tongues wagging when it was reported that the 1,200 guests in attendance were entertained by singer Rihanna who was paid $8 to $9 million, local media reported. The elite are rich Your meta Mark Zuckerberg and Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan also joined the celebrations.
Last week, Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber left Mumbai with a salary of $10 million after performing at the couple’s sangeet – a welcome party for close family and friends of the bride and groom.
Although it is unclear what the total cost of the wedding was, wedding planners have estimated that the family has spent up to $156 million, according to the BBC.
Mukesh Ambani has two other children, twins Akash and Isha, 32 years old.
Isha’s weeknight wedding in 2018 is estimated to cost around $100 million, with a performance by 32-time Grammy winner Beyonce, while Akash’s wedding in 2019 saw performances by Coldplay and Maroon 5, according to local media.
All three children own shares in Reliance Industries and have seats on the board.
