Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding in March caused a stir when photos and videos of their lavish celebration circulated on social media. Here’s what we know about their July nuptials.
Even in a country known for grandiose weddings, Anant Ambani, the son of India’s richest man, and Radhika Merchant’s three-day pre-wedding celebration earlier this year in India stood out.
Within hours into the opulent event — where Rihanna performed, and Mark Zuckerberg and Ivanka Trump wore sherwanis and saris — photographs and videos began to flood social media. The display of money, power and wealth from India’s most influential business family captured the attention of critics and onlookers around the world.
On March 1, more than 1,000 members of the international elite flew to Jamnagar, a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat, for the weekend festivities. Guests, which included billionaires and Bollywood superstars, were offered services like chartered flights, makeup artists, top chefs and luxurious vehicles for pickup and drop-off. A glass palace was built for the occasion, and there was a light show consisting of more than 5,000 drones.
The couple’s wedding will take place in July, but their team has kept under wraps the specifics of what will be one of the most lavish weddings of the season. Here’s what we know so far.
The Groom
Anant Ambani is a son of Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of the megacompany Reliance Industries who Forbes estimates is worth $115 billion, and Nita Ambani.
Mr. Ambani, 29, runs the energy business at Reliance Industries, based in Mumbai, India. He has two older twin siblings, both of whom are also on the board of Reliance Industries. He graduated from Brown and is passionate about animal welfare and rehabilitation. The pre-wedding ceremony included a tour of Vantara, Mr. Ambani’s animal sanctuary in Jamnagar. “This was my giving back to society,” he said in a speech during the festivities.
