India’s richest man to bring Rihanna and 1200 guests to a pre-wedding bash for his son

Pop superstar Rihanna (pictured) is among the line-up of entertainers at the wedding celebrations for Anant Ambani, son of Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani. Photo / Getty Images

It might be the biggest party this small western India city has yet seen. As billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani prepares for the wedding of his son this summer, he’s expecting billionaires from around the world, heads of state, and Hollywood and Bollywood royalty to attend a three-day bash in the family’s home town starting on Friday.

The almost-1200-person guest list includes Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Ivanka Trump; Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla; legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar; and Bollywood celebrities such as Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji.

They’ll be entertained by pop superstar Rihanna, magician David Blaine and famous Bollywood singers.

The party is in Jamnagar, a city of about 600,000 in a near-desert part of Gujarat state. It’s the family’s home town, and the home of the main oil refinery of their business empire, Reliance Industries. There will also be traditional ceremonies in a temple complex.

On Wednesday, the Ambani family organised a community food service for 51,000 people living in nearby villages.

Anant Ambani, 28, is set to marry long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant in July. Merchant is the daughter of Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare Pvt Ltd, and entrepreneur Shaila Merchant.

Husband-and-wife Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh (left) and Deepika Padukone arrive at Jamnagar Airport, Gujarat, for the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. Photo / AP

The three-day pre-wedding bash provides a glimpse of the opulence expected at the wedding itself.

Guests will don jungle-themed outfits to visit an animal rescue centre run by Anant Ambani. Known as Vantara, meaning Star of the Forest, the 1200ha sanctuary houses abused, injured and endangered animals, especially elephants.

The invitation says guests will start each day with a new dress code, with mood boards and an army of hair stylists, makeup artists and Indian-wear designers at their hotel to help them prepare.

Forbes lists Mukesh Ambani as the richest person in Asia. His Reliance Industries is a massive conglomerate, with US$100 billion ($164 billion) in annual revenue and interests ranging from oil and gas to telecoms and retail.

The 66-year-old has begun handing over leadership to his sons and daughter. Elder son Akash is now chairman of Reliance Jio; daughter Isha oversees retail; and younger son Anant has been inducted into the new energy business.

The guest list includes Mohammed Bin Jassim al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar; Stephen Harper, former Canadian Prime Minister; and the King and Queen of Bhutan.