One of India’s richest couples will soon tie the knot, marking the end of an extensive host of pre-wedding celebrations.
Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant daughter of pharma tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant are getting married today (July 12).
The ceremony will see key roads in the city sealed off for several hours a day until all festivities end on Monday, July 15.
From Friday to Monday, roads around the convention centre will be open only for "event vehicles" between 13:00 India time (07:30 GMT) to midnight, according to city police.
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair are among the high-profile guests who have arrived in Mumbai for the wedding.
The couple will get married in a traditional Hindu ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre. A grand reception will take place throughout the weekend, before a final reception for their household staff on Monday.
Rajan Mehra, CEO of air charter company Club One Air, told Reuters that the family had rented three Falcon-2000 jets to ferry wedding guests to the event.
Wedding celebrations have been ongoing since March when the couple hosted more than a thousand guests at a three-day party in Jamnagar in Gujarat, India, to celebrate their upcoming nuptials. Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and Ivanka Trump were among the high-profile guests in attendance, while Rihanna was reportedly paid $5m (£3.94m) to perform.
So who are Anant and Radhika, and what do we know about their wedding?
Anant Ambani, the son of India’s richest man
Anant Ambani is the son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, 66, who has a net worth of $117.8bn (£92bn), making him the richest man in India and the ninth richest man in the world.
Mukesh inherited the company from his father, Dhirubhai Ambani, who founded the company in 1966. Dhirubhai died in 2002.
Anant and his siblings Akash and Isha are involved in the family business and joined the board in August 2023, with Anant heading Reliance Industries’ energy businesses.
Forbes reports that the company is set to invest $80bn (£63bn) in renewable energy over the next three years.
The family live at Antilia, in Mumbai, which is considered to be the second most expensive private residence in the world (after Buckingham Palace). Reportedly costing around $2bn (£1.6bn) to build, it has a whopping 27 floors, room for 168 cars, and is serviced by 600 members of staff.
Radhika Merchant, the daughter of pharmaceutical tycoons
Radhika Merchant is a businesswoman and daughter of Viren and Shaila Merchant, founders of pharmaceutical company Encore Healthcare.
Though not quite as rich as her soon-to-be in-laws, her father reportedly has a net worth of approximately £70m.
Radhika graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from New York University in 2017 and is a trained classical dancer.
Forbes reports that Radhika serves on Encore Healthcare’s board, alongside her sister, Anjali.
From childhood sweethearts to a dream wedding
Anant and Radhika are reportedly childhood sweethearts, or at least family friends. Radhika attended several Ambani family occasions in recent years, including Anant’s siblings’ weddings.
In 2018, the couple attended Nick Jonas’s wedding to Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Anant reportedly proposed to Radhika in 2022, and they formally got engaged during a ceremony in January 2023. They are set to wed on July 12.
Lavish weddings with celebrity performances
The Ambani family is no stranger to lavish weddings – and celebrity performances seem to be a given.
In December 2018, Anant’s sister Isha married billionaire Ajay Piramal's son, Anand Piramal, and their wedding featured a performance by pop icon Beyoncé. Isha’s wedding reportedly cost around $15m (£12m), though some reports speculated that it cost as much as $100m (£79m).
Then, in 2019, Anant’s brother Akash married Shloka Mehta, with British band Coldplay performing at their wedding.
Not to be outdone by his older siblings, Anant had Rihanna perform at his pre-wedding celebrations, as well as Lonely singer Akon, and illusionist David Blaine.
If these major stars performed at the pre-wedding party, we can’t wait to see who will perform at the ceremony itself…
