Son Of Asia's Richest Man Ties The Knot In Extravagant Indian Wedding (2024)

LOADINGERROR LOADING

Son Of Asia's Richest Man Ties The Knot In Extravagant Indian Wedding (1)

MUMBAI, India (AP) — The youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man, married his longtime girlfriend early Saturday in what many dubbed the wedding of the year, attended by global celebrities, business tycoons and politicians, highlighting the billionaire’s staggering wealth and rising clout.

The wedding rituals, including exchanging garlands by the couple and walking around the sacred fire, began Friday and were completed past midnight.

Advertisement

The celebrations of Anant Ambani marrying Radhika Merchant took place at the Ambani-owned Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and the family home. The marriage culminated months of wedding events that featured performances by pop stars including Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a reception organized by the Ambanis on Saturday evening.

The Ambanis hosted a “blessing ceremony’’ for friends and family members to meet the couple and wish them a happy married life.

India Today television news channel reported that the newlyweds touched Modi’s feet as a show of respect and sought his blessings.

Son Of Asia's Richest Man Ties The Knot In Extravagant Indian Wedding (2)

ajanish Kakade via Associated Press

Advertisement

The four-day wedding celebrations began Friday with the traditional Hindu wedding ceremony and will be followed by a grand reception to run through the weekend. The guest list includes former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson; John Kerry, the former U.S. special envoy for climate, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin H. Nasser; and Adele, Lana Del Rey, Drake and David Beckham, according to local media. The Ambani family did not confirm the guest list.

Television news channels showed the arrivals of celebrities like Kim Kardashian, who was dressed in red, and professional wrestler and Hollywood actor John Cena.

Kardashian sisters Kim and Khloé took a ride in a motorized rickshaw through bustling Mumbai streets Friday before joining the wedding ceremonies, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

International guests wore traditional clothes by major Indian fashion designers. They put on embroidered sherwanis — long-sleeved outer coats worn by men in South Asia. Cena came in a sky-blue sherwani and white pants. Nick Jonas wore a pink sherwani and white pants.

Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor attended the wedding and danced to popular Hindi movie songs. Indian cricketers, including icons Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, were among the invitees.

Advertisement

Son Of Asia's Richest Man Ties The Knot In Extravagant Indian Wedding (3)

PUNIT PARANJPEPUNIT PARANJPE via Getty Images

Police imposed traffic diversions around the wedding venue from Friday to Monday to handle the influx of guests who flew to Mumbai, where heavy monsoon rains have caused flooding and flight disruptions for the past week.

The extravaganza and the display of opulence that comes with the wedding have led many to raise questions about rising inequality in India, where the gap between rich and poor is growing. The event has also sparked anger among some Mumbai residents, who say they are struggling with snarled traffic.

“It affects our earnings. I don’t care much about the wedding,” said Vikram, a taxi driver who uses only one name.

The father of the groom, Mukesh Ambani, is the world’s ninth-richest man, with a net worth of $116 billion, according to Forbes. He is the richest person in Asia. His Reliance Industries is a conglomerate reporting over $100 billion in annual revenue, with interests that include petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecoms and retail.

Advertisement

The Ambani family owns, among other assets, a 27-story family compound in Mumbai worth $1 billion. The building contains three helipads, a 160-car garage and a private movie theater.

Son Of Asia's Richest Man Ties The Knot In Extravagant Indian Wedding (4)

MEGA via Getty Images

The groom, 29-year-old Anant, oversees the conglomerate’s renewable and green energy expansion. He also runs a 3,000-acre (about 1,200-hectare) animal rescue center in Gujarat state’s Jamnagar, the family’s hometown.

The bride, Radhika Merchant, also 29, is the daughter of pharmaceutical tycoon Viren Merchant and is the marketing director for his company, Encore Healthcare, according to Vogue.

Ambani’s critics say his company has relied on political connections during Congress Party-led governments in the 1970s and ’80s, and under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule after 2014.

Advertisement

The Ambani family’s pre-wedding celebrations have been lavish and star-studded from the start.

In March, they threw a three-day prenuptial bash for Anant that had 1,200 guests, including former world leaders, tech tycoons and Bollywood megastars, and performances by Rihanna, Akon and Diljit Dosanjh, a Punjabi singer who shot to international fame when he performed at Coachella. The event was also attended by tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates.

It was the start of lavish, months-long pre-wedding celebrations that grabbed headlines and set off a social media frenzy.

In May, the family took guests on a three-day cruise from Italy to France, which included Katy Perry singing her hit song “Firework” and a performance by Pitbull, according to media reports.

The family also organized a mass wedding for more than 50 underprivileged couples on July 2 as part of the celebrations.

Last week, Justin Bieber performed for hundreds of guests at a pre-wedding concert that included performances by Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh and Salman Khan.

Advertisement

Ambani also made headlines in 2018, when Beyoncé performed at pre-wedding festivities for his daughter. Former U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry were among those who rubbed shoulders with Indian celebrities and Bollywood stars in the western Indian city of Udaipur.

Son Of Asia's Richest Man Ties The Knot In Extravagant Indian Wedding (2024)

FAQs

Son Of Asia's Richest Man Ties The Knot In Extravagant Indian Wedding? ›

Anant Ambani tied the knot with Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharma tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant. The wedding rituals, including exchanging garlands by the couple and walking around the sacred fire, began Friday and were completed early Saturday.

Who did Radhika Merchant marry? ›

After months of lavish prewedding festivities that have captured the attention of onlookers worldwide, Anant Ambani, the youngest son of India's richest man, married Radhika Merchant in Mumbai.

How much is the ambani wedding? ›

Guests at the wedding, which cost a reported $600 million, included Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, John Cena, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas, Nicky Hilton Rothschild and James Rothschild, former U.K. prime ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, stylist Law Roach, designer Prabal Gurung, Kim Kardashian and ...

Who is the billionaire getting married in India? ›

After seven months of extravagant pre-wedding celebrations, Anant Ambani, the son of India's richest man, completed his long-awaited marriage to pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant before thousands of guests on Friday.

Who was at the Ambani wedding? ›

Among them were India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi; former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Bollywood stars such as Anil Kapoor and Janhvi Kapoor; Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas; Kim and Khloe Kardashian; and John Cena. Read more about the Ambani wedding weekend here.

Is Radhika Merchant rich or not? ›

Radhika too is from a notable business family of India. Her father Viren Merchant is the CEO of Encore Healthcare and her mother, Shaila Merchant, holds directorial positions in various companies. The duo is recognised for their entrepreneurial acumen and significant financial standing.

How many times did Radhika marry? ›

Radhika Sarathkumar
SpousesPratap Pothan ​ ​ ( m. 1985; div. 1986)​ Richard Hardy ​ ​ ( m. 1990; div. 1992)​ R. Sarathkumar ​ ( m. 2001)​
Children2
ParentM. R. Radha (father)
RelativesNirosha (sister) Abhimanyu Mithun (son-in-law) Ramki (brother-in-law) Radha Ravi (half-brother) Vasu Vikram (half-nephew)
14 more rows

Who are Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant? ›

The groom was the son of Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in Asia, and Nita Ambani. Mukesh Ambani is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, while the bride is the daughter of Viren Merchant, the CEO of a healthcare company.

Who is the Ambani family? ›

He married Nita Ambani in 1985 and they have two sons, Akash and Anant, and a daughter, Isha, who is Akash's twin. They met after his father attended a dance performance which Nita took part in and thought of the idea of arranging a marriage between the two.

What billionaire married his daughter? ›

In 2012, Chao gained international attention when he offered $65 million to any man who could convince his lesbian daughter, Gigi Chao, to marry him.

Which is the most expensive marriage in the world? ›

Queen Letizia and King Felipe of Spain, $25 million. A general view inside the Almudena cathedral where the wedding ceremony takes place between Spanish King Felipe and former journalist Letizia Ortiz on May 22, 2004 in Madrid.

Who is the 19 year old married to 76 billionaire? ›

19 year old boy gets engaged to his 76 year old billionaire girlfriend as he says it was love at first sight. “ I felt butterflies when I saw her” says Giuseppe D'Anna about his new fiancé Malian Gatta. I doubt this is true, just looking for a reaction!

What food was served at Ambani wedding? ›

The wedding feast, served on an entire floor of the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, featured over 2,500 vegetarian dishes from India and worldwide. Special stalls offering Banarasi Paan, Banarasi chaats, Kashmiri treats, and Indonesian coconut-based dishes were among the standout attractions.

How many guests are in an ambani wedding? ›

A March celebration reportedly included over 1,200 guests, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Ivanka Trump, as well as Indian billionaires, Bollywood stars and heads of state, in attendance.

How did Anant Ambani make his money? ›

Anant Ambani is the youngest son of the Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani. Most of Anant's fortune comes from inheriting Mukesh Ambani's dizzying wealth and the booming Indian empire.

What does Radhika Merchant do for a living? ›

Who is Radhika Merchant? Radhika Merchant is an Indian classical dancer and also a part of the pharmaceutical company Encore Healthcare's board of directors along with her parents and sister.

Who is Anant Ambani's fiance? ›

Billionaire heir Anant Ambani is set to marry his longtime girlfriend Radhika Merchant later this month, in a lavish ceremony widely described as the country's wedding of the year. Extravagant pre-wedding celebrations have already sent Indian media into a frenzy and social media feeds are abuzz over what's to come.

Who designed the Radhika Merchant wedding dress? ›

Designed by Manish Malhotra, Radhika's outfit beautifully honors India's rich textile heritage, combining traditional elegance with modern flair. The intricate details and vibrant colors have captivated guests and fashion enthusiasts alike.

What is the profession of Radhika Merchant mother? ›

Shaila Merchant is much more than just a fashionista. She is one of the Managing Directors of Encore Healthcare Ltd. and her net worth is roughly INR 10 crores, as per DNA.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Carmelo Roob

Last Updated:

Views: 6151

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carmelo Roob

Birthday: 1995-01-09

Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176

Phone: +6773780339780

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing

Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.