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Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding: Was it all fun-fair or a business affair? From Rihanna launching her makeup line Fenty Beauty in India to Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg likely to set up their first data centre in India at the Reliance Industries campus to Kardashians 'filming' their India trip for'something special', we explore if the much talked-about event of the decade—the Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding—was beyond just a wedding with a guest list of global celebrities

By Arundhuti Banerjee

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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Undoubtedly, the wedding of Anant Ambani was one of the events of the decade that no commoners can ever forget and that grabbed the eyeballs of not only the people of India but also global leaders and celebrities. From pre-wedding to the wedding and the potential post-wedding event, the festivities are really going on too long. The extravaganza was not surprising, though; after all, it was the wedding of the youngest son of Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani.

However, the most interesting part of the event is its guest list, which included international artists, sports stars, businessmen, and politicians including Rihanna, Kate Perry, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Ivanka Trump, Justin Bieber, Priyanka Johnas, Nick Jonas, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Mike Tyson, John Cena, and David Beckham, among many other global leaders like former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Jay Y. Lee, the executive chairman of Samsung Electronics, and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among many others.

But the list is not just based on their popularity in their respective fields; they also explored their India visit for business opportunities and networking. One such clear example is the performance of American pop star Rihana, who made her comeback on live performance after a gap of eight years with Anant's pre-wedding festivity that took place in Jamnagar in March. It was not a coincidence that she launched her makeup line Fenty Beauty in India with the Nykaa.

The celebrated American television reality show celeb duo Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian also attended the three-day wedding event, not only because of their popularity and high profile but also because they had more reasons to be part of this India tour. According to insiders' sources, Kim is exploring the opportunity to launch her shapewear brand Skims in India and tapping the potential market here. Their sisters also shot the entire wedding festivity and their India tour—exploration of local food, local transport, visiting the ISKCON temple, and more—for their show! Kim shared a post on Instagram and mentioned, "And duh, we were filming The Kardashians too, so you guys can see Kim and Khloe take India."

On the other hand, one must not forget that Samsung Electronics official Jay Y. Lee played a crucial role in bringing the 5G equipment to the Jio network. It is also to be noted that Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is likely to start their first data centre in India at the Reliance Industries campus in Chennai, according to a media report.

Overall, the star-studded wedding affair of the most influential businessman in the country had well-thought-out invitees that allowed him to infuse business with pleasure by all means.

Arundhuti Banerjee

Former Content Editor

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