A lavish wedding reception on Sunday marked the conclusion of months-long celebrations as Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son, Asia’s wealthiest man, wedded his longtime girlfriend in an event reportedly costing millions.
The newlyweds were joyously celebrated by family and friends at Mumbai’s Jio World Drive, a convention center owned by the Ambani family, as part of the “Mangal Utsav,” heralded as the wedding of the year.
Anant Ambani married Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharma moguls Viren and Shaila Merchant. The wedding festivities, including the couple exchanging garlands and circling the sacred fire, commenced on Friday and concluded early Saturday.
Among the luminaries attending the ceremonies on Friday and Saturday were former British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, along with celebrities like Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, wrestler John Cena, and Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, and Salman Khan.
ALSO READ: Radhika Ambani’s Stylish Fusion: Sari-Silhouette And Golden Corset At Reception
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi blessed the couple at a reception on Saturday hosted by the Ambani family, underscoring the billionaire’s growing influence.
“This is the final and most auspicious ceremony and the last wedding in our family,” Mukesh Ambani was quoted as saying by The Times of India. The Ambanis did not disclose the total expenditure on the extravagant festivities spanning months.
In a pre-wedding celebration in March spanning three days, Rihanna and Akon performed for a star-studded guest list of 1,200.
A four-day European cruise in May featured concerts on deck by the Backstreet Boys and Pitbull, followed by a masquerade ball with Katy Perry performing. Last week, at a traditional music night in Mumbai, Justin Bieber entertained guests with his hit songs.
The groom’s father, Mukesh Ambani, ranked as the world’s ninth-richest person with a net worth of $116 billion according to Forbes, is the wealthiest individual in Asia. His conglomerate, Reliance Industries, boasts annual revenues exceeding $100 billion, with interests spanning petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecommunications, and retail.
The Ambani family owns numerous assets, including 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, oversees the conglomerate’s expansion into renewable and green energy and manages a 3,000-acre animal rescue center in Jamnagar, Gujarat, the family’s hometown.
The bride, also 29, serves as the marketing director at Encore Healthcare, her father Viren Merchant’s pharmaceutical company, according to Vogue.
Critics of Ambani argue that his company has leveraged political connections dating back to the Congress Party-led governments in the 1970s and ’80s, and continues to benefit under Prime Minister Modi’s administration since 2014.
ALSO READ: Mom-To-Be Richa Chadha Can’t Wait For Baby’s Arrival, says “Aaja Yaar”
