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A host of global celebrities, politicians and business leaders have travelled to India's financial capital to attend the wedding of the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, in a show of the wealth and power of the country's elite.
The wedding of Anant Ambani to Radhika Merchant, the daughter of a healthcare billionaire, was celebrated this weekend at Ambani's Jio World Convention Center in the upscale Bandra Kurla Complex by India's leading business clan, which owns luxury shopping malls and prominent arts venues.
The celebrations were the culmination of months of festivities that have highlighted India's growing influence on the global stage, led by the wealth, power and influence of tycoons such as Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, an oil refining, telecommunications and retail giant.
“The Ambani group is playing the game of India’s super-rich, trying to outdo the extravagant celebrations of the rest of the super-elite,” said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center. The extravagance is also “a stark reminder of India’s growing economic inequality,” he added.
The celebrations kicked off in March with a three-day bridal shower near Reliance's petrochemical complex in Jamnagar, Gujarat, where attendees including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Ivanka Trump and Larry Fink were treated to a live Rihanna performance.
Earlier this week, Justin Bieber landed in Mumbai to perform at the couple's concert. sangeetor a musical ceremony, where guests mingled with Indian film and cricket stars.
Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai home, Antilia, is decorated ahead of the celebrations © Rajanish Kakade/AP
Antilia, the Ambani family’s palatial home in Mumbai, was bustling with activity. Indian musicians performed outdoors, while the nearby streets were lit up with gold lights. Videos released to the media showed the Ambanis performing Bollywood songs, with Mukesh pretending to drive a classic open-top car, lip-syncing with his wife Nita to a song from a 1968 Hindi film while hugging their grandchildren.
Local media have speculated about the guest list, suggesting the lavish ceremony could feature the likes of former British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Sir Tony Blair, HSBC chairman Sir Mark Tucker, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, boxer Mike Tyson and the Kardashians. The Ambani family has not confirmed the guest list.
The family has also hosted charity events, including serving food to villagers, but the latest party in Mumbai has sparked frustration among residents of the bustling metropolis. Police imposed traffic diversions from Friday to Monday around the Jio Center to manage the entry of many VIP guests for an unidentified “public event.”
“The next three or four days are crazy,” said one person involved in the wedding planning.
“They have taken over the whole place…it’s theirs, most of the area is theirs, so no one can move in,” said one businessman, who was annoyed by the months-long celebrations and asked not to be named. “It’s ridiculous.”
Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani, third from left, and his family members attend a mass wedding ceremony last week for underprivileged couples, ahead of his son's wedding © Punit Paranje/AFP/Getty Images
The Ambanis’ pre-wedding Mediterranean cruise “La Dolce Vita” in May also prompted complaints from residents in Italy over noise and the closure of the Portofino coastal area. The cruise featured performances by Andrea Bocelli, Katy Perry and the Backstreet Boys.
Canadian DJ Deadmau5, known for his performances with an oversized mouse headset, was also forced to cancel his Friday concert in Mumbai at short notice ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected to attend the wedding and inaugurate infrastructure projects.
Modi’s presence, which has caused traffic jams in Mumbai, means “the planned venue is no longer available as per the guidelines issued by the relevant authorities,” concert organizers said in a statement. A representative for deadmau5 did not respond to a request for comment.
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The prime minister’s expected presence is also a reminder of the deep political ties Reliance has built over the decades since it was founded by Mukesh’s father, Dhirubhai Ambani. The family hails from the prime minister’s home state of Gujarat, as does his compatriot Gautam Adani.
Reliance did not respond to requests for comment.
The lavish celebrations also come as the conglomerate prepares for a third-generation succession as leader, following a bitter battle between Mukesh Ambani and his younger brother Anil after their father died without a will.
Reliance's three main business units were divided among Mukesh's children and last year all three were appointed to the group's board of directors.
Kugelman said the wedding “helped give Anant extra publicity, to show that he was ready for prime time.”
11-07-2024 17:00:17
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