After months of lavish celebrations around the globe, the wedding ceremony of Anant Ambani, son of Asia’s richest man, is set to occur on Friday.
Anant, the son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, will wed Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharma tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant.
The four-day wedding extravaganza in Mumbai marks the final event in a series of opulent parties hosted by the family since March.
These events, which have already featured performances by stars like Rihanna and Justin Bieber, have captured global attention.
However, they have also faced criticism from city residents who have complained about traffic congestion and questioned the extravagant display of wealth.
Mukesh Ambani, 66, currently holds the position of the world’s 10th richest man with a net worth of $115 billion, according to Forbes.
Reliance Industries, founded by his father in 1966, is a vast conglomerate with interests in petroleum, retail, financial services, and telecommunications.
Anant Ambani, the youngest of Mukesh’s three children, is actively involved in Reliance’s energy businesses and serves on the board of Reliance Foundation.
The couple will exchange vows in a traditional Hindu ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre on Friday. Following the wedding, the family plans to host a grand reception throughout the weekend and a final reception for their household staff on Monday.
Rumors have circulated online that Adele might perform at the wedding, though the family has not confirmed this.
The Mumbai police have designated the wedding as a “public event” due to the attendance of numerous international and Indian VIPs, as reported by Reuters news agency.
Traffic restrictions have been imposed around the venue, allowing only “event vehicles” between 13:00 India time (07:30 GMT) and midnight from Friday to Monday.
Rajan Mehra, CEO of air charter company Club One Air, informed Reuters that the family had rented three Falcon-2000 jets to transport wedding guests.
“The guests are coming from all over and each aircraft will make multiple trips across the country,” he said.
These restrictions have angered city residents who are already dealing with traffic jams and monsoon flooding.
The wedding festivities began in March with a three-day pre-wedding party in Gujarat, attended by 1,200 guests, including international celebrities, politicians, and business leaders such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Bill Gates.
Performances included Rihanna, Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh, and rapper Akon.
In June, the Ambanis organized another pre-wedding celebration on a luxury cruise from Italy to France, featuring performances by the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Pitbull for 800 guests, including Bollywood stars and cricketers.
The final round of celebrations began earlier this week with Bieber’s arrival in Mumbai, and social media has been abuzz with photos and videos of his performance.
The Ambanis also constructed 14 temples within a sprawling complex in Jamnagar to showcase India’s cultural heritage and serve as a backdrop for the wedding.
As part of the celebrations, they hosted a mass wedding for 50 underprivileged couples and a community feast for the underprivileged on Wednesday.
While the Ambanis have not disclosed the total cost of the wedding, planners estimate expenses ranging from 11 billion to 13 billion rupees ($132 million-$156 million).
It is rumored that Rihanna was paid $7 million for her performance, while Bieber received $10 million.