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NEW DELHI (AP) — It could be the biggest party this small West Indian city has ever seen. As a billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani As she prepares for her son’s wedding this summer, she expects billionaires from around the world, heads of state and Hollywood and Bollywood royalty to attend a three-day party in the family’s hometown, starting Friday.
The guest list of nearly 1,200 includes Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sunder Pichai and Ivanka Trump; Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla; legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar; and Bollywood celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Salman Khan, Arijit Singh and Diljeet Dosanjh.
They will be entertained by pop superstar Rihanna, magician David Blaine and famous Bollywood singers.
The party is in Jamnagar, a city of around 600,000 inhabitants in a near-desert area of the state of Gujarat. It is the family’s hometown and home to the main oil refinery of their business empire, Reliance Industries. There will also be traditional ceremonies at a temple complex.
On Wednesday, the Ambani family attempted to organize a community feeding service for 51,000 people living in nearby villages.
Anant Ambani, 28, will marry his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant in July. Merchant is the daughter of Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare Pvt. Limited. Ltd., and businesswoman Shaila Merchant.
The three-day pre-wedding party starting Friday will provide a glimpse of the wedding itself, which is expected in July.
Guests will don jungle-themed outfits to visit an animal rescue center run by Anant Ambani. Known as “Vantara,” meaning “Forest Star,” the 3,000-acre (1,200 hectare) center is home to abused, injured and endangered animals, especially elephants.
The invitation says that guests will find a trend board for each day’s dress code, with an army of stylists, makeup artists and Indian clothing designers at their hotel.
Forbes lists Mukesh Ambani as the richest person in Asia. His Reliance Industries is a massive conglomerate that reports more than $100 billion in annual revenue, with interests ranging from petrochemicals, oil and gas to telecommunications and retail.
Indian tycoons are never in a hurry to pass the baton, but Mukesh Ambani, 66, has begun handing over leadership to his sons and daughter.
Eldest son Akash is now chairman of Reliance Jio; his daughter Isha oversees retail; and his youngest son, Anant, has been brought into the new energy business.
The guest list also includes Mohammed Bin Jassim al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar; Stephen Harper, former Canadian Prime Minister; and the king and queen of Bhutan.