What to Expect at the Lavish Wedding of Mukesh Ambani’s Son, Asia’s Richest Man

NEW DELHI—In March, Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani hosted a three-day prenuptial celebration for his son. The event had a guest list of 1,200 people, including former world leaders, tech moguls, and Bollywood celebrities. The highlight was a performance by renowned singer Rihanna.

This was just the beginning of their extravagant pre-wedding festivities that have been making headlines and causing a stir on social media.

In May, the family treated their guests to a 3-day pre-wedding cruise from Italy to France. The cruise featured a DJ set by David Guetta, Katy Perry singing her hit song “Firework,” and a performance by Pitbull, as reported by various media outlets.

The wedding is now scheduled for this week, where 29-year-old Anant Ambani will marry his long-time girlfriend, Radhika Merchant, in what many are calling the wedding of the year.

Who Are the Ambanis?

The groom’s father, Mukesh Ambani, aged 66, is currently the 9th richest person in the world with a net worth of $116 billion, according to Forbes. He is also the wealthiest individual in Asia.

His company, Reliance Industries, is a vast conglomerate with over $100 billion in annual revenue. Their businesses range from petrochemicals, oil, and gas to telecommunications and retail.

The Ambani family owns various assets, including a $1 billion private apartment building called Antila, situated in Mumbai. This building boasts three helipads, a 160-car garage, a private movie theater, a swimming pool, and a fitness center.

The family patriarch is gradually passing on his responsibilities to his two sons and daughter. Akash Ambani, the eldest son, now heads Reliance Jio, their telecom business; Isha oversees retail operations, while Anant, the youngest, has ventured into the new energy sector.

Who Are the Bride and Groom?

Anant, a graduate of Brown University, according to Reliance Industries, is overseeing the company’s venture into renewable and green energy sectors.

He also manages a 3,000-acre animal rescue center called Vantara in Gujarat state’s Jamnagar, the family’s hometown where the extravagant pre-wedding festivity took place in March.

The bride, Radhika Merchant, aged 29, is the daughter of pharmaceutical tycoon Viren Merchant and serves as the marketing director for his company, Encore Healthcare, as per Vogue.

In an interview with the magazine, Radhika mentioned that they were introduced by mutual friends in 2017, sparking a special connection that led to them dating.

When’s the Wedding and What’s Expected?

The main wedding ceremony is scheduled for July 12, followed by a lavish reception on July 14, as reported by local media. The celebrations will take place at Ambani’s Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai and their family residence.

The chosen dates are believed to be auspicious based on the couple’s birth charts, following Hindu traditions. The wedding will be preceded by several days of traditional ceremonies and events.

Indian social media was buzzing with videos from the couple’s sangeet ceremony, where both families performed dances for the guests. The event featured performances by Bollywood stars like Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, and Salman Khan, as well as a special appearance by Justin Bieber, who flew to Mumbai for the occasion.

The family also arranged a mass wedding for over 50 underprivileged couples as part of the pre-wedding celebrations.

The Ambanis are known for their extravagant parties, and the upcoming events are expected to attract even more celebrities, billionaires, and world leaders.

At the pre-wedding celebration in March, the guest list included Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, former leaders from Canada and Qatar, along with Bollywood icons like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. Besides Rihanna, Akon, and Diljit Dosanjh, a popular Punjabi singer, also graced the stage.

In 2018, during his daughter’s wedding, Ambani garnered attention for hosting grand celebrations where pop star Beyoncé performed. The event saw the likes of former U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry mingling with Indian stars in the city of Udaipur.