A lavish pre-wedding party is taking place in Jamnagar, India this weekend for billionaire Anant Ambani, son of the richest man in Asia Mukesh Ambani. He is set to marry Radhika Merchant this July, but first comes a multi-day extravaganza with celebrity performances, famous guests, and exotic activities.
A Marriage Between Billionaire Families
Anant and Radhika come from two of India’s wealthiest families. Anant’s father Mukesh chairs Reliance Industries and is the 9th richest person worldwide with a net worth over $90 billion. Meanwhile, Radhika’s father Viren Merchant is a healthcare CEO and billionaire himself. This wedding brings together two powerful billionaire dynasties in Indian business and industry.
Rihanna Performance and Magic Tricks
The Ambanis clearly spare no expense when it comes to celebrations. They have booked pop icon Rihanna to perform at the event, with a price tag reportedly around $9 million. Magician David Blaine will also be on hand to dazzle the high-profile guests. Rihanna’s rider apparently includes “literal crates of crap” she brought for the gig.
Fellow Billionaires and Celebrities on the Guest List
With 1200 guests invited, it’s a veritable who’s who of business, politics and entertainment. Billionaires Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai are attending. Disney CEO Bob Iger and Hollywood super agent Ari Emanuel scored invites. Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan will mingle among the global elite. In an intriguing subplot, both Ivanka Trump and Hillary Clinton are guests fueling speculation about any interaction.
Family Tradition of Over-the-Top Pre-Wedding Parties
For the Ambanis, extravagant, celebrity-filled pre-wedding events are a family tradition. Anant’s sister Isha had Beyoncé perform in 2018, while his twin brother hired Coldplay in 2019. As the youngest Ambani son to wed, expectations were high to top his siblings.
Animal Center Visit and Strict Dress Codes
Guests have a packed schedule of dinners, parties and activities. One highlight is visiting an animal rescue center run by Reliance that Anant oversees. Attendees were instructed to wear bright, animal prints and Hawaiian shirts to fit the “jungle fever” dress code.
The weekend features multiple Indian-themed dress codes for both traditional and modern “dazzling” outfits. One requirement insists that pressed clothes be returned within 3 hours, so guests should plan their steaming needs accordingly.
When Indian billionaires throw a party, it’s truly one-of-a-kind event. This weekend’s celebrations are no exception with the money and star power on display from business, politics and entertainment.
Jamnagar Airport Scrambles to Handle Influx of Private Jets for High-Profile Wedding Celebrations
The city of Jamnagar in Gujarat, known for being home to the world’s largest oil refinery complex, has found itself in the spotlight in recent weeks as celebrities and business leaders from around the globe descend on the area.
The reason? Extensive pre-wedding festivities ahead of the nuptials of Anant Ambani, son of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, to fiancée Radhika Merchant.
Makeshift Immigration and Customs Facility Established
The small civil enclave at the Jamnagar Air Force Base, which typically handles only a handful of commercial flights per day, has been inundated with an estimated 400 private charter jets arriving between Friday, March 1 and Monday, March 4.
With no permanent infrastructure in place to process international passengers, a temporary Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facility was hastily constructed to open on February 25 and remain operational until March 6.
Parking Workarounds for Influx of Planes
Since the Jamnagar airport has no parking capacity for additional aircraft, the charter planes bringing Ambani wedding guests to the celebrations are being redirected to other nearby airports such as Rajkot, Porbandar, Ahmedabad, and even Mumbai. Ground crews are working overtime to handle the dramatic increase in traffic.
Airport Staffing Reinforced to Handle VIP Guests
Only 10-15 air traffic control employees usually work at the Jamnagar airport. Additional staff has been brought in from other airports in the state to help manage the exponential rise in flights. Security is also being increased, with the number of on-site police doubling from around 35 to 60 personnel.
With up to 140 charter plane movements scheduled for arrival and departure on the peak celebration dates, the airport has taken extensive measures to guarantee safe, efficient transportation for the parade of high-profile wedding attendees.
Once festivities wrap up on March 4 with an expected 100+ private jet departures, operations can return to normal—about six commercial flights daily.
In Short
This weekend’s lavish pre-wedding festivities for the Ambani and Merchant families showcases the grandeur and extravagance often associated with high-society Indian weddings. When top industrialist billionaires join forces, the celebrations are taken to another level.
The actual wedding in July promises to be an equally opulent Indian affair known as a “big, fat Indian wedding.” These multi-day matrimonial events involve extensive planning with massive guest lists, ornate outfits, gold jewelry, feasts, music, dancing, rituals, and more. Costs for India’s biggest weddings can run into millions of dollars.
The marriage of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant brings together two billionaire families and corporate dynasties. If this weekend’s pre-wedding bash is any indication, their big, fat Indian wedding this summer will be a lavish spectacle and celebration that’s likely one of the largest matrimonial events in recent history.
