Kim and Khloe Kardashian, socialite sisters, were among the worldwide celebrities who arrived in India on Friday to attend Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani’s spectacular three-day wedding extravaganza.
Ambani’s youngest son Anant and fiancee Radhika Merchant, both 29, will marry over the weekend in Mumbai, the financial capital, after months of lavish pre-marriage events that have established a new standard for matrimonial luxury.
Earlier events included a 1,200-person European cruise, a purpose-built Hindu temple at the Ambani family’s ancestral home, and private performances by Rihanna and Justin Bieber from Canada.
The Kardashians are the latest in a long line of well-known overseas VIPs to make an appearance.
Kim, the elder sister, posted an Instagram story showing her car being surrounded by Indian paparazzi straight after her arrival, as well as both siblings receiving flower garlands from workers at their luxury hotel.
Former British prime leaders Boris Johnson and Tony Blair were also sighted by reporters arriving at Mumbai airport before the celebration began later on Friday.
near June, the pair went on a four-day Mediterranean cruise, during which Katy Perry performed at a masquerade event at a French chateau near Cannes.
The Backstreet Boys, US rapper Pitbull, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli also performed.
Guests at previous galas included Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and former US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, as well as a who’s who of India’s sports and entertainment industries.
This week’s lavish celebrations are expected to raise the benchmark, with even more celebrities, politicians, and global business leaders flocking to the monsoon-hit megacity of Mumbai.
Former US presidential contender Hillary Clinton, boxing champion Mike Tyson, and actor John Cena are among the other names reported to attend.
Anant’s father, Mukesh, is the chairman of Reliance Industries, a family-founded conglomerate that has evolved to become India’s largest firm by market capitalization.
According to Forbes, the patriarch is the world’s 11th richest person, with a fortune worth more than $113 billion, and he is no stranger to making public statements on family weddings.
He conducted the most extravagant wedding in India to date for his daughter in 2018, reportedly costing $100 million and included US artist Beyonce.
Ambani is also a close ally of India’s right-wing Hindu nationalist leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He took over a thriving industrial firm covering oil, gas, and petrochemicals and transformed it into a commercial giant with profitable interests in retail, telecommunications, and an Indian Premier League cricket club.
His 27-floor family house, Antilia, is one of Mumbai’s most iconic landmarks, having cost more than $1 billion to build and employing 600 permanent personnel.
Merchant is the daughter of well-known pharmaceutical magnates.