In the event that Akash Ambani, the son of Mukesh Ambani, who is one of the wealthiest men on the planet, decided to host a pre-wedding party in February of 2019, the venue was St Moritz in Switzerland. Although St Moritz is a popular ski resort for the elite, it was not the most popular vacation spot among Indian elites.
However, through my studies with wealthy homemakers from Delhi, I’ve learned that ever since the Ambani winter gala, Swiss resorts like St Moritz have become a part of the vocabulary for those in the Indian elite. Indian cricket player Virat Kohli, along with his spouse, actress Anushka Sharma, and other Bollywood stars, recently began the New Year celebrations with their families in Switzerland.
By selecting St Moritz, the Ambani family appeared to be indicating that they’re comfortable with the lifestyle of the global super-rich, and they are satisfied with the Indian method of being elite and an international one. The desire, ambition, and desire to be part of the elite global community were apparent in the subject of my new book – the super-rich women from Delhi who are housewives.
It is estimated that there are 119 billionaires living in India, And the highest 1% of the population made up 73 percent of the wealth created by the nation in 2017. My study examines how Indian business elites make use of their money and explains how their lives are structured around luxury and privilege and how worries about class, race, and money plague them.
A global wedding
I was able to spend time with the bride-to-be Soha*. She had returned to the UK at the age of 23 after having completed the master’s program and was set to wed Akshay, an Indian man who belonged to an established Delhi business family. A renowned wedding agent suggested the idea for the wedding.
Soha was ecstatic about her wedding because her college friends, mostly non-Indians, would be there and were eagerly anticipating the ” big fat Indian wedding.” Soha said she would host a big party, but she also told her guests that she wasn’t an ordinary Indian bride.
She viewed herself as an elegant Indian and desired her wedding to be a blend of Indian customs, but also draw an international palette. That meant she informed me that she wanted the style and the atmosphere of her wedding not to appear “too loud,” by which she meant elaborate decorations that were bright with bright orange and red. Instead, the color scheme will be soft to give off an elegant look. In actuality, for her bridal attire, Soha chose a gold beige gown with red as the background, which is a classic color to wear for Punjabi brides.
With soft palettes of colors and an international selection of foods, as well as afternoon teas, Spanish dancing and music, and a wedding dress in white gold, Soha successfully communicated the international taste of her guests.
The Hermes Birkin bag
One of the symbols of the global class that wealthy Indian females adore is The Hermes Birkin purse. The battle between these women doesn’t end with possessing a Birkin. It also depends on whether the bag was bought at Hermes’ Hermes store in India, an overseas city, or from a different country. It also determines the color and whether it’s made from “regular” calfskin or an “exotic” leather such as the skin of a crocodile.
The magnitude of this contest was evident when the women talked about their thoughts on the “thrill” and patience involved in purchasing a Rouge Hermes Birkin. The red bags are only available in a few Hermes showrooms across the globe, and there’s a waitlist to buy one. The women evaluate who among them has the most fashion sense and who is the more “in” with international trends determined by who has the largest quantity of Birkins, what color and in which leather, and from which cities in the world. In spite of this type of one-upmanship, however, they all agreed Arab women are always one step ahead of the rest, buying not just one but many Birkins constructed of exotic leathers that aren’t available within India. Indian subcontinent.
