Asia’s richest man’s son to marry in extravagant Indian wedding

Mumbai, July 13: Global celebrities, business tycoons, and politicians began arriving in India’s financial capital on Friday to attend the wedding of the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man, highlighting the billionaire’s staggering wealth and rising influence. 

Anant Ambani, 29, is marrying his longtime girlfriend, Radhika Merchant, in what many have dubbed the wedding of the year. The celebrations are taking place at the Ambani-owned Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and their family home and are the culmination of months of wedding events that featured performances by pop stars including Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

The four-day wedding celebrations begin with a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on Friday followed by a grand reception through the weekend. The guest list includes former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin H. Nasser, the Kardashians, Adele, Lana Del Rey, Drake, and David Beckham, according to local media.

The Ambani family has not confirmed the guest list.

Police have imposed traffic diversions from Friday to Monday around the wedding venue to handle the influx of guests who will be flying into the megacity of Mumbai, where heavy monsoon rains have caused flooding and flight disruptions for the past week.

The father of the groom, Mukesh Ambani, 66, is the world’s ninth richest man with a net worth of $116 billion, according to Forbes. He is also the richest person in Asia. His Reliance Industries is a massive conglomerate, reporting over $100 billion in annual revenue, with interests ranging from petrochemicals, and oil and gas to telecoms and retail.

The Ambani family owns, among other assets, a 27-storey private apartment building worth $1 billion in Mumbai. It has three helipads, a 160-car garage and a private cinema.

Ambani’s son, Anant, oversees the conglomerate’s renewable and green energy expansion. He also runs a 3,000-acre (about 1,200-hectare) animal rescue centre in Gujarat state’s Jamnagar, the family’s hometown.

The bride, Radhika Merchant, 29, is the daughter of pharmaceutical tycoon Viren Merchant and is the marketing director for his company, Encore Healthcare, according to Vogue.

Last week, Justin Bieber performed for hundreds of guests at a private pre-wedding concert which included performances by Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh and Salman Khan. (AP)