Who is Radhika Merchant? A businesswoman and trained classical dancer from India's wealthiest family.

The lavish pre-wedding party of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is packed with the rich and famous. All eyes are on bride Radhika Merchant, an entrepreneur and daughter of pharmaceutical tycoons from India. Merchant graduated from New York University in 2017 and reportedly holds a seat on the board of her parents' pharmaceutical company.

Radhika's parents

Viren and Shaila Merchant, founded global pharmaceutical manufacturer Encore Healthcare in 2002. At the age of 29, Merchant earned an international diploma from B.D. Somani International School in Mumbai before graduating from NYU in 2017 with a degree in political science, according to her LinkedIn profile.

While studying at NYU, Merchant interned at various companies including Cedar Consultants in Mumbai, serving as a strategy consulting intern before joining luxury real estate company Isprava. According to media reports, Merchant now also holds a seat on the board of Encore Healthcare along with her sister Anjali, who works as a director, with her father as CEO and vice chairman and her mother as executive director.

According to USA Today, Ambani and Merchant have been engaged since January 2023 and are childhood sweethearts. Mukesh Ambani, Merchant's future father-in-law and chairman of Reliance Industries, is Asia's richest man with an estimated fortune of $113.8 billion. Ananth is the director of Reliance's power business and holds various other positions in his father's company. The three-day pre-wedding celebration for Ambani and Merchant kicked off Friday with the presence of a host of billionaires, including Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. The wedding is scheduled for July 12, according to the Times of India.