Asia’s wealthiest man, Mukesh Ambani, has been in the spotlight across India in recent months. However, it’s not due to a major business deal or significant charitable contribution but rather the extravagant wedding celebrations of his son that have captivated the nation and beyond.
The festivities, beginning in March, have firmly placed the Ambani family at the heart of countless conversations at dining tables across the country.
Anant Ambani, Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son, married his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant at a family-owned convention centre in Mumbai on Friday, marking the culmination of six months of lavish celebrations spanning the globe.
While Indian weddings are known for their opulence, the sheer magnitude of the Ambani celebrations may have surpassed even those of former royalty.
The presence of Bollywood’s elite at every event, performances by international pop stars like Rihanna and Justin Bieber, and a gathering of VVIPs have provided endless fodder for the media.
Among the distinguished guests were global figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Samsung CEO Han-Jong Hee, Bill Gates, Ivanka Trump, former UK Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and the Kardashian sisters, highlighting the event’s international allure.
“These are very busy people. They aren’t coming just to have fun,” James Crabtree, author of The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age, told the BBC.
“What this tells you is that global business leaders believe the Ambanis are strategically important and also that they see India as a very big market.”
Meet the family
Meet the Ambani family, often hailed as India’s foremost business dynasty. They oversee Reliance Industries, a conglomerate spanning from oil to telecommunications, originally founded by Mukesh Ambani’s father, Dhirubhai Ambani.
Dhirubhai, known for navigating India’s pre-liberalisation policies adeptly, left a controversial yet legendary legacy, amassing considerable wealth for shareholders.
Following Dhirubhai’s death in 2002, his empire was divided between his two sons, Anil and Mukesh, after a contentious succession battle—one of India’s most acrimonious. Since then, their paths have diverged significantly: Anil faced bankruptcy woes, while Mukesh expanded into consumer-focused ventures alongside leading Reliance’s petrochemical stronghold.
Mukesh Ambani’s Jamnagar oil refinery stands as the world’s largest. In recent years, Reliance has introduced esteemed luxury brands like Valentino, Versace, Burberry, and Bottega Veneta to India. Additionally, they own a team in cricket’s wealthiest tournament and the iconic British toy retailer, Hamleys.
In 2021, Reliance acquired Stoke Park, a historic country club in Buckinghamshire, and earlier this year, they struck a significant deal to merge their entertainment platforms with Disney, solidifying Mukesh Ambani’s role in the digital streaming arena with rights to global cricket tournaments and international shows.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Reliance Industries embarked on an extensive acquisition spree, bolstered by billions in investments from over a dozen global entities, including Meta and Google.
Their collaboration with Meta aimed to integrate WhatsApp’s vast user base in India with JioMart, their online grocery platform.
Reliance’s aggressive pricing strategies have posed significant challenges to foreign competitors like Netflix and Amazon in the same sectors.
Privately, these foreign players have occasionally voiced concerns about a perceived lack of a level playing field, attributing advantages to local tycoons like the Ambanis, who reportedly benefit from preferential government contracts.
“Foreign players face a difficult choice,” says Mr Crabtree. “They can either fight with Reliance or get into bed with Reliance.
Zuckerburg has chosen to partner with them, while Amazon has decided to fight. But these battles are often very costly, and foreigners end up losing.”
Now, Mukesh Ambani’s next target is financial services, with Reliance entering into a joint venture with US-based BlackRock for a brokering and wealth management business.
For the Ambanis, this wedding goes beyond mere celebration. It’s a display of their influence and the respect they command across business, politics, and entertainment circles, notes Harish Bijoor, a brand strategy expert.
“It’s a testament to their magnetism, drawing people from all walks of life—a personal event that resonates globally, even with consumers of Reliance products who may not attend.”
If Dhirubhai Ambani introduced India’s retail investors to the stock market, Mukesh Ambani has significantly intertwined his businesses with the daily lives of average Indians.
Today, much of what Indians consume, from entertainment to fashion and potentially future transactions, originates from Ambani enterprises.
Thus, a spectacular wedding becomes an ideal platform for the family to reinforce its brand with India’s burgeoning consumer class. Unsurprisingly, the event has captured attention both domestically and internationally.