Ambani: World dignitaries arrive in India for 'wedding of the year'

Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani's youngest son Anant and fiancee Radhika Merchant, both 29, will tie the knot over the weekend in the financial capital Mumbai following months of pre-marriage parties that have set a new benchmark in matrimonial extravagance.

Socialite sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian were among the global celebrities spotted in India on Friday to attend a lavish three-day wedding ceremony.

Earlier celebrations included a European cruise for 1,200 guests, a purpose-built Hindu temple at the Ambani family's ancestral home, and private performances by R&B star Rihanna and Canada's Justin Bieber.

The Kardashians are the latest in a long line of famous foreign VIPs to make an appearance.

A-list guests

Elder sister Kim shared an Instagram story showing her car mobbed by Indian photographers shortly after her arrival and both siblings receiving flower garlands from staff at their luxury hotel.

Fellow celebrity guests including actor John Cena posed for cameras on the red carpet upon their arrival at the venue, a huge convention centre owned by the Ambani family's conglomerate.

Former British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair were also spotted by reporters arriving at Mumbai airport ahead of the party beginning later on Friday.

In June, the couple embarked on a four-day Mediterranean cruise, where singer Katy Perry performed at a masquerade ball at a French chateau in Cannes.

Celebrity performers

The Backstreet Boys, US rapper Pitbull and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli also provided entertainment.

Guests at earlier galas have included Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and former US president Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, along with a who's who of India's sporting and entertainment worlds.

This week's opulent celebrations are set to raise the bar further, with even more celebrities, politicians, and global business elites jetting into monsoon-hit Mumbai.

Several major roads around the venue have been closed off to the public by authorities for most of the weekend.

Friday will see the main formal ceremony at the 16,000-person capacity venue, with a separate "blessing ceremony" on Saturday and a grand reception on Sunday.

$123 billion fortune

Anant's father Mukesh is chairman of Reliance Industries, a family-founded conglomerate that has grown into India's biggest company by market cap.

The patriarch is the world's 11th richest person with a fortune of more than $123 billion, according to Forbes, and is no stranger to making a statement when it comes to family marriages.

He held the most expensive wedding in India to date for his daughter in 2018, which reportedly cost $100 million and saw US singer Beyonce perform.

Ambani is also a key ally of India's right-wing Hindu nationalist leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

successful business empire

He inherited a thriving industrial enterprise spanning oil, gas and pet rochemicals and grew it into a commercial behemoth.

Its lucrative interests include retail partnerships with Armani and other luxury brands, more than 40 percent of India's mobile phone market and an Indian Premier League cricket team.

His 27-floor family home Antilia is one of Mumbai's most prominent landmarks, reportedly costing more than $1 billion to build and with a permanent staff of 600 servants.

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