Less than a year after the Ambani wedding grabbed headlines around the world for its sheer extravagance, another Indian billionaire's son is set to tie the knot on Friday.
Jeet Adani, the youngest son of Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, is marrying Diva Shah, the daughter of diamond trader Jaimin Shah.
Adani senior, who has a net worth of $73 billion according to the current Bloomberg Billionaires Index, is the second richest person in Asia after Mukesh Ambani. As such, expectations are high for another multi-day lavish wedding of the year, even including a rumoured performance by Taylor Swift.
Here's what you need to know about the Adani wedding.
When and where is the Adani wedding?
Jeet Adani and Diva Shah are set to marry in Ahmedabad in the west Indian state of Gujarat, and the Adanis' hometown, on Friday. Pre-wedding festivities will start on Wednesday, and the couple have been engaged since March 2023.
While murmurs of a celebrity-filled wedding, big enough to rival the Ambani wedding, have been doing the rounds since the date of the nuptials were made public, Gautam Adani recently put all rumours to rest, saying the wedding – which is not expected to have more than 300 guests – will be a “simple, traditional and family affair”.
Attending the Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering of its kind in the world, with his family last month, Adani was asked by the media about the impending celebrations.
“We are like common people. Jeet had also come here to take Maa Ganga's blessings today. Our activities are like common people. His marriage will happen in a very simple and traditional way,” he said.
When asked if the celebrations will include a large gathering of celebrities, Adani added: “Not at all.”
Will Taylor Swift perform at the Adani Wedding?
No. The pop star, whose record-breaking Eras Tour concluded in December, will not perform at the wedding. Adani has put to rest all rumours of her impending wedding performance, or that of any other artist.
By comparison, the wedding of Anant Ambani, son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, to Radhika Merchant last year spanned several months and included eye-popping parties across continents, an European cruise party and a roster of international performers from Rihanna and Katy Perry to the Backstreet Boys.
How is celebrity designer Manish Malhotra involved?
While rumours of a lavish wedding have been quashed, there is at least one celebrity designer involved in the coming wedding. Designer-to-the-stars Manish Malhotra, who was also the creative director at the Ambani wedding last year, is reportedly collaborating with a non-profit called Family of Disabled to create special shawls for the bride and groom on their wedding day.
Headquartered in Delhi, Family of Disabled was founded in 1992 and teaches skills to people with disabilities, to help them be financially independent. Besides the shawls, they will also provide hand-painted accessories, from glassware to plates, for the wedding.
While Malhotra himself has not announced his participation, Family of the Disabled shared the news on their social media calling it a "wonderful collaboration that beautifully blends love, inclusivity and fashion".
"The wedding of Jeet and Diva within the Adani Group became even more special with the remarkable partnership between Manish Malhotra and Family of Disabled. This collaboration not only celebrated their union, but also highlighted the power of craftsmanship, diversity and empowerment," the organisation posted on Instagram.
Jeet Adani and social work
Jeet Adani is known for supporting various causes, especially those dedicated to people with disabilities. In January, he and fiancee Diva turned up at Mitti Cafe, a restaurant run by disabled people, in Mumbai Airport, with an invitation to their wedding.
"Our team had the honour of welcoming Jeet Adani and Diva Shah to our cafe at Mumbai Airport," the cafe shared on Instagram. "Their support has meant so much to us – helping us open Mitti Cafes at Mumbai and Lucknow Airports.
"The excitement among our team was electric, especially since they’re making these dreams come true for persons with disabilities. But what made this moment truly unforgettable? Jeet and Diva invited our team to their wedding in Ahmedabad."
The Adani Group also has a social arm, Adani Foundation, chaired by matriarch Priti Adani. Established in 1996, the foundation works in "marginalised communities in the core areas of education, health and nutrition, sustainable livelihoods, climate action and community development. It is currently operating in 6,769 villages across 19 states" in India, according to its website.
Who is Jeet Adani?
The younger of Adani and his wife Priti's two sons, Jeet, 28, heads Adani Airports, the flagship company of the Adani Group, which manages six airports in India. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania – School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, he's also learning to be a pilot, as per posts on his X account.
Jeet's older brother Karan, 37, is the managing director of Adani Ports and is married to Paridhi Adani. The couple have a daughter, Anuradha, aged 9.
Who is Gautam Adani?
Gautam Adani is the founder and chairman of the Adani Group, a multinational conglomerate, which began as a port operator in the 1990s. The company has since expanded its operations into airports, power, gas, mining, defence, food, broadcasting and more.
A first-generation entrepreneur who began his career as a diamond trader in Mumbai in the 1980s, Adani helped run his brother’s plastics business in his home state of Gujarat before setting up Adani Enterprises – the group’s flagship company – as an agricultural commodities trader in 1988. In 1995, he earned the contract to manage Mundra Port in Gujarat.
Bloomberg Billionaires Index currently places him at No 21 with a net worth of $73.6 billion. At the peak of his wealth, he was worth about $150 billion in September 2022, when he briefly overtook Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as the world's second-richest person.
In 2023, Adani was accused by US investor Hindenburg Research of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud, causing his shares to drastically drop. In November, US Federal prosecutors charged him in the US over a $250 million bribery scheme, alleging that Adani and seven other defendants, including his nephew, Sagar Adani, promised to pay bribes to Indian government officials to win solar energy contracts, expected to yield $2 billion of profit over 20 years.
Adani is known to be close to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also hails from Gujarat, which has led to allegations of cronyism.
