Cover The Ambanis attend the Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's engagement ceremony on January 19, 2023 in Mumbai, India (Photo: Getty Images)
The Ambanis attend the Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's engagement ceremony on January 19, 2023 in Mumbai, India (Photo: Getty Images)
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We take a look at the family behind what is considered one of the biggest and most lavish nuptial celebrations of the decade, the Ambanis
After months of opulent pre-wedding celebrations, Anant Ambani, the son of India’s richest man, tied the knot with pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant on Friday, July 12.
The ceremony, a dazzling affair, was attended by thousands of guests, including luminaries such as Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and former British prime ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson.
The wedding was a culmination of two lavish multi-day celebrations. The first, held in March at the Ambani estate in Jamnagar, India, welcomed around 1,200 guests. Rihanna headlined this event with her first full-length concert in nearly eight years, commanding a fee estimated between US$6 and US$9 million according to reports.
In late May, the couple hosted another celebration on a cruise ship in Palermo, Italy. This four-day Mediterranean voyage featured surprise performances by the Backstreet Boys and David Guetta, with stops including an evening in Cannes featuring a masquerade ball and performances by Katy Perry, Pitbull and Andrea Bocelli.
Read more: Everything you need to know about the Ambani wedding happening this weekend
Who are the Ambanis?
Above Ambani family during the wedding ceremony of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant at the Jio World Convention Centre, on July 12, 2024 in Mumbai, India. (Photo: Getty Images)
Ambani family during the wedding ceremony of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant at the Jio World Convention Centre, on July 12, 2024 in Mumbai, India. (Photo: Getty Images)
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The Ambanis are often heralded as India’s foremost business dynasty. They helm Reliance Industries, a conglomerate spanning petrochemicals, oil, gas, telecoms, and retail. Founded by Dhirubhai Ambani, the company was divided between his sons Mukesh and Anil Ambani after his passing in 2002, a split marked by one of India’s most contentious succession battles. Anil eventually declared bankruptcy in 2020, while Mukesh expanded Reliance Industries into a global powerhouse.
Mukesh Ambani: The Patriarch
Above Mukesh Ambani is Asia’s richest man (Photo: Reliance Industries)
Mukesh Ambani is Asia’s richest man (Photo: Reliance Industries)
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Mukesh Ambani, 66, is the world’s ninth-richest person with a net worth of US$116 billion, according to Forbes. Under his leadership, Reliance Industries generates over US$100 billion in annual revenue. The Ambani family resides in Antilia, a 27-story private residence in Mumbai valued at US$1 billion. This architectural marvel boasts three helipads, a 160-car garage, a private movie theatre, a swimming pool, and a fitness centre.
Mukesh is now gradually handing over the reins to his children. His eldest son, Akash Ambani, chairs Reliance Jio, the conglomerate’s telecom arm. His daughter, Isha Ambani, oversees the retail division, while Anant Ambani, the youngest, is spearheading the company’s foray into renewable energy.
See also: Curious about the Ambani wedding? Here’s what happens at Indian weddings
Nita Ambani: The Mother
Above Nita Ambani wearing her most-spoken-about emerald necklace at her son’s pre-wedding festivities in March 2024 (Photo: courtesy of instagram.com / manishmalhotra05)
Nita Ambani wearing her most-spoken-about emerald necklace at her son’s pre-wedding festivities in March 2024 (Photo: courtesy of instagram.com / manishmalhotra05)
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Known as an educationist, philanthropist, businesswoman, and supporter of the arts and sports, Nita Ambani married Mukesh in 1985 after Mukesh’s father attended a dance performance which Nita took part in and thought of the idea of arranging a marriage between the two.
She is the chairperson and founder of the Reliance Foundation, Dhirubhai Ambani International School and a director of Reliance Industries.
The Newlyweds: Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant
Above Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani (Photo: Getty Images)
Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani (Photo: Getty Images)
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The youngest son of Mukesh and Nita, Anant Ambani, born in 1995 in Mumbai, holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and is leading Reliance’s expansion into renewable and green energy with an aim to become a net carbon zero company by 2035.
Additionally, he sits on the board of the conglomerate’s non-profit, the Reliance Foundation, as well as the board of Reliance Industries itself, and he is one of the directors of tech company, Jio Platforms Limited. He also manages Vantara, a 3,000-acre animal rescue centre in Jamnagar, where the couple’s pre-wedding celebrations took place.
Don’t miss: Ambani wedding jewellery: Decoding India’s richest family’s love affair with emeralds
Meanwhile, Radhika, born in 1994 in Mumbai, is the daughter of Viren and Shaila Merchant, the founders of Encore Healthcare and some of the richest billionaires in India. She studied political science at New York University and during her time in New York, she interned at various businesses before returning to India to join the family business.
She now serves on Encore Healthcare’s board of directors, alongside her sister, Anjali, with her father at the helm as CEO and her mother as managing director. Radhika is also a trained classical dancer and spent eight years learning Bharatanatyam at Shree Nibha Arts Dance Academy in Mumbai, completing formal training in 2022.
The Siblings
Above Anant Ambani, Isha Ambani, and Akash Ambani at the company's 40th Annual General Meeting in Mumbai.(Photo: Getty Images)
Anant Ambani, Isha Ambani, and Akash Ambani at the company's 40th Annual General Meeting in Mumbai.(Photo: Getty Images)
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The eldesh son of Mukesh and Nita, Akash Ambani, born is 1991 was educated in economics at Brown University. He joined Reliance Industries in 2014 and has chaired Reliance Jio since 2022. Meanwhile, Isha Ambani, Akash’s twin sister, holds degrees from Yale University in psychology and South Asian studies and an MBA from Stanford University. She serves on the board of several Reliance subsidiaries, including retail, telecommunications, and financial services, and is also a board member of the Reliance Foundation.
Sim Wie Boon is the general manager of Tatler Malaysia. Previously the print and digital editor, Sim hails from the land of the hornbills, Sarawak. Sim is now based in Kuala Lumpur and brings more than a decade of experience in the media industry as a journalist and broadcast producer.
As a self-proclaimed geriatric millennial, he appreciates the finer things in life, from savouring a sip of single malt whisky to relishing in the deliciousness of char siew. While reminiscing about the indie-sleaze era, Sim now finds solace in the soothing tunes of ambient music, staying active through running and occasionally succumbing to the addictive world of doom scrolling.
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