Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

India's lavish Ambani nuptials

Mukesh Ambani’s younger son Anant and fiancee Radhika Merchant, both 29, are set to marry in a three-day Hindu ceremony in Mumbai

India's lavish Ambani nuptials

BILLIONAIRE Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani celebrates the lavish finale of his son's wedding this week, highlighting his staggering wealth, as well as India's rapid economic growth and stark financial inequalities.

Ambani's younger son Anant and fiancee Radhika Merchant, both 29, are set to marry in a three-day Hindu ceremony in India's financial capital Mumbai starting Friday (12).


Asia's richest man is no stranger to throwing a costly wedding.

He held the most expensive wedding in India to date for his daughter in 2018, which reportedly cost up to $100 million (£77m) and saw US singer Beyonce perform.

2024 07 12T143542Z 549859198 RC2NT8APL0NI RTRMADP 3 INDIA AMBANI WEDDING Groom Anant Ambani poses for pictures with Nita Ambani and Mukesh Ambani . REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

This week's opulent celebrations are set to raise the bar, with celebrities, politicians and business elite jetting into the monsoon-hit megacity of Mumbai.

Pre-wedding parties for his son included multi-day galas, a European cruise for 1,200 guests, a specially built Hindu temple and entertainment provided by pop stars ranging from Rihanna to Justin Bieber.

Celebrations started in March

Wedding celebrations began in March with a three-day gala for 1,500-plus guests in Gujarat.

Rihanna performed her first concert since last year's Super Bowl for wedding guests including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and ex-US president Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka.

David Blaine did magic tricks.

Festivities also involved a trip to the Ambani's "animal rescue centre" housing exotic animals, and a specially built Hindu temple complex.

A second leg in June was a four-day Mediterranean cruise with 1,200 guests, Merchant told Vogue.

Singer Katy Perry performed at a masquerade ball at a French chateau in Cannes, while the Backstreet Boys and US rapper Pitbull also provided entertainment.

DJ David Guetta played at a toga party at sea.

The cruise ended in Italy's Portofino, where tenor Andrea Bocelli serenaded the party in the town square.

2024 07 12T143433Z 175908430 RC2MT8AAT5P3 RTRMADP 3 INDIA AMBANI WEDDING Drummers perform as staff members of Antilia, the house of Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani, dance on the day of Anant Ambani's wedding in Mumbai, India, July 12, 2024. REUTERS/Hemanshi Kamani

Wedding spectacle

The wedding invitation was an intricate chest incorporating a mini silver temple. Merchant's multiple dresses have been as elaborate.

They have included custom designs from Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, and a vintage Yves Saint Laurent for Dior, she told Vogue.

Another was a sweeping chiffon dress printed with a love letter from her fiancee, the magazine reported.

"I want to be able to show it to my kids and grandkids, and say that 'this is what our love was'", Merchant said.

Ambani, 67, the chairman of Reliance Industries, has a fortune of more than $123 billion (£95bn), and is the 11th wealthiest person in the world, according to the Forbes billionaires list.

Ambani inherited a thriving industrial enterprise spanning oil, gas and petrochemicals.

2024 07 11T155720Z 1105250067 RC21T8AR2TPP RTRMADP 3 INDIA AMBANI WEDDING Vehicles pass by the venue of Anant Ambani's wedding to Radhika Merchant in Mumbai, India, July 11, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

He grew it into a commercial behemoth with lucrative interests in retail, telecommunications and an Indian Premier League cricket team.

Ambani's family home Antilia is one of Mumbai's most prominent landmarks. The 27-floor building reportedly cost more than £770m to erect and has a permanent staff of 600 servants.

Merchant is the daughter of pharmaceutical moguls.

Ambani provided a feast for 50,000 people in his hometown of Jamnagar in Gujarat during the first round of parties.

Ambani also organised a mass wedding for 52 "underprivileged" couples near Mumbai, promising to support "hundreds more such weddings" across India.

(AFP)

More For You

Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

Asim Munir

Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

PAKISTAN’S army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday (7) rejected Delhi’s allegation that his military received active support from longtime ally China in its conflict with India in May.

The Indian Army’s deputy chief, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh, said last week that China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

Christine Kangaloo awards Narendra Modi with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago last Friday (4)

Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

INDIA’S prime minister, Narendra Modi met Argentine president Javier Milei in Buenos Aires last Saturday (5), urging the expansion of New Delhi’s preferential trade deal with South America’s Mercosur bloc.

The bilateral talks with Milei were the latest in Modi’s whistle-stop diplomatic tour culminating in the summit of Brics emerging economies which began last Sunday (6) in Brazil.

Keep ReadingShow less
Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

Lord Coaker (Photo: UK Parliament)

Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

A FRESH parliamentary initiative to establish a dedicated Sikh regiment within the British Army has gained momentum in the House of Lords, with defence minister Lord Coaker expressing willingness to engage in further discussions about the long-debated proposal.

The issue was raised in the House of Lords on Monday (7) by Labour peer Lord Sahota, who asked whether there had been any progress on long-standing calls for a Sikh regiment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heatwave Alert: Don’t Leave Contraceptives or Medication in Cars

Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

iStock

Drivers warned to remove contraceptives and medication from cars during UK heatwave

Highlights:

  • Experts urge motorists to avoid leaving certain items in vehicles during upcoming heatwave
  • Temperatures expected to rise above 30°C across large parts of the UK
  • Contraceptives and common medications can lose effectiveness in high heat
  • Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

Drivers urged to act as UK braces for extended heatwave

Drivers across the UK are being urged to remove a range of everyday items from their cars ahead of a predicted heatwave, with experts warning that the rising temperatures could pose both safety and health risks.

The Met Office has forecast a prolonged spell of hot weather, with temperatures expected to soar into the low 30s on Thursday and Friday. Much of the UK is likely to hit its regional heatwave threshold by the weekend, with this episode potentially affecting a wider area and lasting longer than previous hot spells.

Keep ReadingShow less
Royal Mail

The Royal Mail logo is seen on the side of a van as the UK government clear a 3.57 billion pound takeover offer by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in London, December 16, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Ofcom updates Royal Mail delivery targets, starts pricing review

MEDIA regulator Ofcom has set new minimum delivery standards for Royal Mail and revised existing targets in an effort to reduce delays. It also announced a review into pricing and affordability, amid concerns over rising stamp prices.

Royal Mail, which has faced fines of around $20 million over the past two years for not meeting delivery targets, is currently trying to modernise operations and focus more on parcel deliveries.

Keep ReadingShow less