The Ambani family's pre-wedding and wedding celebrations for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant have garnered global attention for their seemingly endless and increasingly opulent affairs. While the Ambanis have long been public figures in India and around the world, the family has been particularly in the spotlight since January 2024. They hosted a series of extravagant celebrations leading up to the wedding of their youngest son, Anant, and his fiancée, Radhika Merchant. The couple's pre-wedding festivities have already made headlines, featuring appearances from celebrities like Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian and tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg.
Celebrating Indian Heritage With Wedding Outfits
Nita Ambani, businesswoman and wealthiest woman in India showcased her commitment to celebrating Indian artisans and sharing the country's cultural legacy through her outfit choices at the wedding festivities. For the 'Shubh Aashirwad' ceremony, Nita Ambani wore a stunning custom outfit designed by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. She chose a hand-embroidered Zardozi ghagra inspired by the detailed architecture and temples of Kashi. Her embellished blouse featured intricate jhumka motifs and auspicious elephant designs on the sheer back.
A heartfelt touch was the embroidery of her children's names—Akash, Isha, and Anant—and her grandchildren's names—Krishna, Aadiya, Prithvi, and Veda—on her choli, along with Sanskrit shlokas along the hem. Nita's ensemble was completed with a richly embroidered dupatta showcasing intricate zari work.
At the wedding, Nita Ambani attended the baraat procession in a customary ‘Rangkat’ ghagra by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla. According to the designer label’s official page, "This special outfit was handcrafted by master artisans Vijay Kumar and Monika Maurya of SWADESH over 40 days. It features a traditional ‘Rangkat’ dupatta in vibrant pastel shades."
For the Grah Shanti Puja, Nita Ambani chose to wear an outfit by Manish Malhotra, honouring India’s rich cultural heritage with a stunning reinterpretation of the holy city of Varanasi. She wore a custom Rangkat saree that epitomises the timeless elegance of Varanasi. The saree featured a 28-chauk jaal design, adorned with intricate floral motifs and vibrant real zari.
For the Haldi function, Nita Ambani once again selected a Manish Malhotra design. She wore an antique gold ensemble inspired by the classic Hyderabadi kurta, paired with a Khada dupatta (double drape). The outfit featured antique zari, timeless zardozi embroidery, and an intricate silver and gold Chatai technique border crafted by specialized artisans.
For the Garba and Sangeet night, Nita Ambani once again donned a Manish Malhotra creation. She wore a custom-made ivory lehenga adorned with vintage multi-hued traditional Zardosi embroidery. The ensemble was completed with a woven Banarasi tissue dupatta featuring hand-embroidered intricate zari borders and a timeless blouse inspired by the craftsmanship of heritage meenakari kundan jewellery.
The world was captivated by Nita Ambani's fashion choices, which beautifully showcased Indian designs, textiles, and jewellery. Her ensembles, featuring intricate embroidery and traditional craftsmanship, highlighted the richness of India's cultural heritage, leaving a lasting impression on fashion enthusiasts globally.
Here's a closer look at the remarkable Ambani matriarch, Nita Ambani.
All About Nita Ambani, From Teacher to Philanthropist
Born into a middle-class family, her life took a significant turn after a dance performance at a cultural event. Her classical Bharatnatyam skills captivated the then-business tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani and his wife Kokilaben, leading them to seek her out as their daughter-in-law.
Nita was a school teacher at the time. Mukesh recalled their first meeting during an appearance on the talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, saying, “My first impression was that she looked stunning. I wanted to meet Nita and find out what she was like as a person and whether we could share a life together.”
The couple married in 1985, and Nita has since become deeply involved in her husband’s business. She is the founder and chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, which focuses on education, healthcare, disaster response, and rural development in India. "I told Mukesh right from the start that I didn't want to be just an ornament," Nita told Forbes in April 2016.
Despite her new status, she remained true to her passion for education and teaching. She has established numerous schools to provide education for poor and underprivileged children. Her dedication to social causes led to the founding of the Reliance Foundation, which is now the largest private foundation in India, affiliated with Reliance Industries Limited.
In 2014, Nita Ambani was elected as a non-executive director to the board of Reliance Industries, further solidifying her influence within the company. She also founded and chairs the Dhirubhai Ambani International School, a premier institution in Mumbai known for its commitment to providing quality education.
Nita Ambani's contributions extend beyond education and philanthropy. She made history as the first Indian woman to become a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Her role in the IOC highlights her dedication to promoting sports and representing India on a global platform.
Advocating for Women's Rights
Moreover, Nita Ambani is a strong advocate for women's rights, emphasising their importance in both sports and business. She passionately states, "Women deserve equality in every arena, from boardrooms to playgrounds." Her commitment to empowering women resonates throughout her work and initiatives.
She spoke in a CNBC interview about women in sports, women in farms and non-farm jobs, and women empowerment, while she also talked about her rooted family values as she spoke about her daughter Isha Ambani.
'From Boardrooms To Playgrounds, Women Should Be Treated Equally' Says Nita Ambani
Nita Ambani emphasised why it is important that women now receive equal opportunities as their male counterparts, as she talked about the nation's future on the shoulders of women, she opined nation's development depends upon women's empowerment and the well-being of its children and also the transformation using the sports could turn India into a developed nation as these are the three keys of a developed nation, opines Ambani.
Ambani said how empowering women is "very very dear to my heart" as she also shared how it is now time that we treat our boys and girls equally be it boardrooms or playgrounds.
'Sports Transcends Boundaries' Nita Ambani On Equality In Sports
As Reliance Industries has invested vigorously in the sports industry, Mukesh Ambani is now the world's richest sports team owner. Ambani co-owns a five-time winner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Mumbai Indians.
Ambani shared her strong belief that sports are equal for boys and girls as she opined that children learn equally on playgrounds as they in learn classrooms she adds "Sports transcends boundaries" reflecting upon Reliance Industries' investment in Sports.
'Whatever My Sons Could Do, My Daughter Could Too' Nita Ambani On Reliance Succession Plan
Ambani, a mother of three, reflects upon inheriting good values in children as she talks about the Reliance empire and her children. Ambani thinks for girls to learn they are equal, they need to see that at their homes first and have mentors to let them know that they aren't anything less than the boys.
Ambani adds, that she never differentiated between her three kids and states "Whatever my boys could do, my daughter could do too" adding that this has been added to the succession plan of the Reliance empire as well.
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