Jamnagar's Transformation: Ambani Legacy Beyond Anant & Radhika Merchant's Pre-Wedding Bash

Jamnagar in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat is aglow with lights and festivities as it plays host to the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant. The city is adorned with decorations, creating a vibrant and joyous atmosphere in anticipation of the upcoming wedding festivities which are scheduled to take place from March 1-3, 2024.

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The who¡¯s who of film industry, business tycoons, sports personalities, influential people of the world and several others have descended in Jamnagar.

Instead of opting for picturesque destinations like Tuscany, Santorini, Lake Como and others, Anant chose to embrace this city.

In an interview with India Today, Anant cited two reasons for choosing Jamnagar as the venue for his and fianc¨¦e Radhika Merchant¡¯s pre-wedding events - PM Modi¡¯s ¡®Wed In India¡¯ initiative and his special connection with the place!

"It's a matter of pride and happiness when our PM said that one should get married in India," 28-year-old, Anant Ambani told India Today TV.

"I have grown up here, and it's my good fortune that we could plan the celebration here (Jamnagar). This is my dadi's janm bhoomi (birthplace) and my dada and papa's karm bhoomi (workplace)... And this is my home. My father often says that this is my dada's sasural (in-laws' house), so we are celebrating here. I also believe I am from Jamnagar, yahin ka nagarik hun," Anant Ambani added.

This move has put global attention on Jamnagar city.

A lesser-known fact is that Reliance, operating the world's largest single-location oil refining complex in Jamnagar, Gujarat, with a capacity of 68.2 million tonnes per year, has set an ambitious goal to transform into a net-zero carbon company by the year 2035.

Nita Ambani Anchored The Designing And Construction Of The Township In The Late 90s

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The vision and relentless hard work of the Ambani family have transformed a barren land into a lush landscape, earning Jamnagar the reputation of being the Green Belt of Gujarat today. The birthplace of Kokilaben and Dhirubhai Ambani, Jamnagar is also the place where Mukesh Ambani started his business.

Nita Ambani took the lead in designing and constructing the township in the late 1990s, with the objective of providing homes for approximately 5,500 families of Reliance employees.

Nita Ambani, ranked as the most powerful woman by Fortune India in 2022, discussed her challenging journey in reshaping Jamnagar with Fortune. She revealed that she and her team had to operate from tin sheds.

Facing scorching temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius with no trees around, the Ambani family undertook the mission to plant saplings across the arid region, which received less than 400 cm of rain, as shared with Fortune. Jamnagar has now developed a flourishing flora and fauna ecosystem, with rainfall doubling since then.

Asia's Largest Mango Orchard Flourishes in Jamnagar, Thanks to Ambani Legacy

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Jamnagar proudly hosts the largest Mango Orchard in Asia, known as Dhirubhai Ambani Lakhibag Amrayee, spanning 600 acres and featuring more than 100 varieties of mangoes. Originating with 50,000 mango trees, the Ambani family has expanded the orchard to nearly 1.5 lakh trees. While approximately 70 percent of the produce is domestically consumed, the surplus is exported.

In alignment with Dhirubhai Ambani¡¯s vision of planting 2 million trees and creating a green hub, the Reliance family has planted millions of saplings in the region. According to the company's annual reports, RIL has planted over 2.3 crore saplings up to the year 2020-21, incorporating mangroves on 875 acres of land around its Jamnagar refinery plant.

Anant Ambani's 'Vantara': A Revolutionary Project for Wildlife Rehabilitation

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Anant Ambani's project 'Vantara,' covering 3,000 acres in Reliance's Jamnagar Refinery Complex, is inspired by his mother Nita Ambani. Supported by Reliance Industries and the Reliance Foundation, the initiative, named 'Star Of The Forest,' aims to create a safe haven for mistreated, injured, and endangered animals. Going beyond a traditional zoo, Vantara is designed as a comprehensive rehabilitation facility, replicating the lush ecosystems of the animals' origin

What¡¯s Next For Jamnagar?

Reliance Industries Ltd announced in a recent earnings statement and investor call that it is set to inaugurate a new energy giga complex in Gujarat during the latter half of 2024. The complex, situated on a vast 5,000-acre expanse in Jamnagar, Gujarat, encompasses five giga factories dedicated to the production of photovoltaic panels, fuel cell systems, green hydrogen, energy storage, and power electronics.