Courtesy: Reliance Industries Limited Facebook id
We first read this as a post by the writer on Facebook, and later saw an interesting exchange with some of his connections. We sought his permission to compile his posts and some of his response to comments in this article. Read on. – Ed
By Sanjay Mehta
The more that one reads and sees of the Anant Ambani pre-wedding event in Jamnagar, what stands out is the extreme logistical exercise that it has been. And to even have the audacity to consider pulling something like this off!
Anyone who has ever managed an event of any reasonable size knows what it takes. Say, a conference or a marketing event, with a certain number of variables. Put in some challenges with celebs involved, and what it needs to take care of them and their entourages!
Or say, you’ve hosted a wedding. With the multiple events. The relatives and friends to be taken care of. The invites, the RSVPs. The diet preferences, the transportation arrangements. Now make it a destination wedding. And see the variables multiply! Call a politician to your event. And worry about the number of hangers-on who need to be accommodated with the individual. Think of the security that he may bring along, but which you also need be taking care of, at your venue! Add a few foreign guests to the twist! Phew!
If you’ve ever been through anything even close to this, you know what I am talking about, don’t you?!
Now think of what the Ambanis dared to do, and did, and pretty flawlessly, from the looks of it. Celebrities of the highest order. By the hundreds! Their entire logistics! Invites, confirmations, travel and transportation, stay arrangements keeping the stature of all, the show itself, doing all this not at a large 5-star resort reasonably equipped for this, but in fact, creating the entire event infrastructure of their own, in their home town.
Yes, money is a big factor. But the point is that this is not just about putting money on the table. It is so much more! It’s the ability of visualise scale projects and the ability to execute them well. In a time-bound manner. This has been their strength in business forever and now seen at an event like this as well!
One other thing: I see this is that this is part of a new India. I have seen times in our country when the wealthy were living subdued lives so as to not come into anyone’s eyes – be it the local goondas, the income tax folks, jealous neighbours, the Labour unions in your factory etc. All that has changed now. There is a far larger acceptance of the wealthy to do their thing and not be concerned about others. They in fact, create aspiration and inspiration! This was one extreme event, but I speak in general.
As for why:
a) because they can,
b) they’re still only spending a tiny bit of their wealth,
and c) indeed, the money rotates and feeds so many on the supply chain. Not to speak of the reality show experience that the country enjoyed for free, on Reels and elsewhere!
A lot of people have said that it’s a splurge, a waste of monies. We have to momentarily pause and relook at the splurge word. A typical wedding in our kind of families, or our homes or our dinner outings etc will seem like a splurge to lakhs of people. But we don’t see it that way for ourselves. Where Ambanis are, this would be thought of as par for course. It’s a splurge only from the distance that we are at!
Jamnagar is a place hardly known for hosting anything remotely close to this. Just imagine the security arrangements itself! Nearly all of the guests being serious security risks! Think about the various food preferences! Think about young and old folks! The mind boggles!
Yes, there are event organisers available to do all this, plus there’s the money and connections. It’s the X factor beyond that, which makes Ambanis what they are.
And the Ambanis could visualise this, take it on, and pull it off! Even with the money, few would have been able to do so! From oil and gas to mobile to data to retail and that shows up now in a family wedding event as well!! Hat’s off to them!
Sanjay Mehta is one of the pioneers in the digital world in India, having founded and spearheaded several companies: HomeIndia, Mirum (earlier SocialWavelength before WPP took it over) to name a few. He is also an author and commentator on all things digital, and beyond.
By Anil Thakraney