MUMBAI, India—A lavish wedding reception on Sunday marked the culmination of months-long celebrations as Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend in a ceremony that reportedly cost millions.
The wedding festivities took place at Mumbai’s Jio World Drive, a convention center owned by the Ambani family, as part of the “Mangal Utsav” celebration, which many have hailed as the wedding of the year.
Anant Ambani exchanged vows with Radhika Merchant, the daughter of pharmaceutical magnates Viren and Shaila Merchant. The wedding rituals began on Friday and concluded early Saturday with the couple exchanging garlands and taking the traditional seven rounds around the sacred fire.
The star-studded guest list included former British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, along with celebrities like Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, John Cena, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, and Salman Khan, who attended the ceremonies on Friday and Saturday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi blessed the newlyweds at a reception hosted by the Ambani family on Saturday, 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 cost of the elaborate celebrations that spanned several months.
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The pre-wedding festivities in March featured performances by Rihanna and Akon for a star-studded guest list of 1,200 people.
A four-day European cruise in May included on-deck concerts by the Backstreet Boys and Pitbull, followed by a masquerade ball where Katy Perry performed. At the traditional music night in Mumbai last week, Justin Bieber entertained guests with his music.
Mukesh Ambani, the father of the groom, is ranked as the world’s ninth-richest man with a net worth of $116 billion according to Forbes, making him the wealthiest individual in Asia. His conglomerate, Reliance Industries, boasts over $100 billion in annual revenue across sectors like petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecom, and retail.
The Ambani family’s assets include a $1 billion, 27-story family home in Mumbai with three helipads, a 160-car garage, and a private movie theater.
At 29, Anant Ambani oversees the conglomerate’s renewable energy expansion and operates a 3,000-acre animal rescue center in Gujarat. His bride, Radhika Merchant, also 29, serves as the marketing director for her father’s pharmaceutical company, Encore Healthcare.
Critics of Mukesh Ambani claim that his company has benefited from political connections dating back to the 1970s and ’80s under Congress Party governments and continuing under Modi’s administration since 2014.
By Rafiq Maqbool And Rajnish Kakade
