Radhika Merchant is the daughter of the CEO of Encore Healthcare Viren Merchant and Shaila Merchant who is engaged to Mukesh and Nita Ambani’s youngest son Anant Ambani.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Radhika Viren Merchant [1]Zauba Corp was born in 1994 (age 29 years; as of 2023), and she hails from Kutch, Gujarat. She grew up in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She did her schooling at Cathedral and John Connon School and Ecole Mondiale World School in Mumbai.
Radhika Merchant (in red circle) as a teenager during a school trip
She earned an International Baccalaureate Diploma from BD Somani International School. Thereafter, she moved to New York for further studies. She pursued a bachelor’s degree in political science at New York University. [2]Radhika Merchant – LinkedIn
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 4″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Radhika Merchant belongs to the Gujarati Hindu family. Her father, Viren Merchant, is the CEO of Encore Healthcare, and her mother’s name is Shaila Merchant. Viren is also the director of Encore Natural Polymers Private Limited, Encore Business Centre Private Limited, Encore Polymers Products Private Limited, ZYG Pharma Private Limited, and Sai Darshan Business Centres Private Limited. Her younger sister’s name is Anjali Merchant.
From left to right, Shaila Merchant, Radhika Merchant, Anjali Merchant, and Viren Merchant
From left to right, Shaila Merchant, Anjali Merchant, and Radhika Merchant
Fiancé
On 29 December 2022, Radhika Merchant got engaged to Anant Ambani, the youngest son of the Chairman of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani. The ceremony was held at the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. The wedding date of Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani is not made public yet.
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s engagement photo
Religion
Prior to Radhika and Anant’s engagement, RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani, along with Radhika, visited a number of temples across the country to offer prayers. Radhika and Mukesh Ambani, along with RIL director Manoj Modi, were spotted paying a visit to the Shrinathji temple in September.
Mukesh Ambani with RIL director Manoj Modi and Radhika Merchant (wearing a mask, extreme left) visiting Shrinathji temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan in 2022
They then went to Kerala’s Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple and Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati Balaji Temple; Mukesh Ambani donated Rs 1.5 crore to the nearby Tirumala hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara.
Mukesh Ambani and Radhika Merchant visiting Shri Krishna Temple, in Guruvayur, Kerala
Career
In 2017, she started working in the private luxury villas chain Isprava as a sales executive. Isprava Group is a luxury home developer backed by Nadir Godrej, Anand Piramal, and Dabur’s Burman family. Since 2016, Radhika is a member of the Encore Healthcare Board of Directors. In 2016, she did her internship at the business strategy consultant Cedar Consultants in Mumbai. There, she worked on presentations on Middle East Market research for budding businesses in established markets such as the Taxi service market, consolidating marketable data reports on the Banking industry in India and worldwide, and a market report for a non-existent industry estimating bottom-up and top-down data. Previously, she has interned with various organisations like Desai & Diwanji, Law Point, and Priyadarshani Academy.
Facts/Trivia
- She is often spotted at family events of Ambanis. In 2018, she first came into the limelight just after Isha Ambani’s engagement, when her picture with Anant Ambani went viral on the internet. There were rumours that Anant and Radhika got engaged and that they were expecting to tie the knot in the same year.
Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani’s viral picture
She attended the marriages of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal, as well as Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta. She was seen performing at Isha Ambani’s ring ceremony alongside Shloka Mehta and Isha Ambani on the song ‘Ghoomar’.
Radhika Merchant dancing with Isha Ambani and Shloka Mehta
However, later, a Reliance spokesperson cleared the air and denied all the reports calling them baseless.
- She is also known to be an animal lover who actively works towards their welfare.
- She is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer, having studied under Guru Bhavana Thakar at Shree Nibha Arts. In June 2022, Nita and Mukesh Ambani hosted a lavish Arangetram ceremony for Radhika at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai. Arangetram ceremony is the debut on-stage performance of a former student of Indian classical dance that marks the end of his/her formal classical dance training.
- She occasionally enjoys consuming alcoholic beverages at family events.
Radhika Merchant at a party enjoying a glass of champagne
- Radhika and Anant’s pre-wedding festivities were held in Jamnagar, Gujarat, from 1 March to 3 March 2024. The lavish event, hosting about 1200 guests from around the world, saw the presence of renowned personalities from Bollywood, Hollywood, and the tech industry, including Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
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- Rihanna performed for the first time in India at Radhika and Anant’s pre-wedding event.
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- The pre-wedding festivities were highlighted by significant events including the elevation of Jamnagar Airport to international status and the visit of guests from across the globe to the expansive 3000-acre animal rescue sanctuary ‘Vantara.’
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- On 3 March 2024, Anant and Radhika celebrated their Hastakshar Ceremony and symbolised their union.
Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani during the Hastakshar Ceremony
- Radhika’s speech from her pre-wedding event went viral on the internet as netizens linked it to a dialogue from the Hollywood film ‘Shall We Dance?’ (2004).
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References
| ↑1 | Zauba Corp |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Radhika Merchant – LinkedIn |
