What kind of life will baby Prithvi Akash Ambani lead? Mukesh and Nita’s first grandson can look forward to Reliance Industries millions and celebrity friends like Bollywood’s Priyanka Chopra

Jan 18 , 2021

New parents Akash and Shloka Ambani, the Ambani family mansion, and Mukesh with his new grandson, Prithvi. Photos: @shloka_mehta_official; @maria_dashkevich/Instagram

With dad Akash part of India’s richest family and mum Shloka Mehta the heiress to the Rosy Blue conglomerate, Baby Ambani has it made – connections with famous faces from Beyoncé to Hillary Clinton is just the cherry on top

On December 10, 2020, baby Prithvi Akash Ambani was born into one of the richest families in Asia. His dad, Akash, is son to billionaire Mukesh and his wife Nita, meaning he’ll enter a world of wealth, power and celebrity. His mum, Shloka, is also the heiress to a mighty diamond dynasty, further cementing Baby Prithvi’s global status as one of the world’s richest newborns.

Akash Ambani and his wife Shloka. Photo: @shloka_mehta_official/Instagram

So what does the future look like for Mukesh and Nita’s first grandchild? Prithvi is entering a world most of us can’t even begin to imagine – from being part of the world’s one per cent to already having plenty of friends in high places.

Wealth (and a lot of it)

A store of Reliance Industries’ Jio telecoms unit in Mumbai, India in 2017. Photo: Reuters

Mukesh Ambani is India’s richest man. He is Asia’s second richest, recently booted from the top spot by Chinese businessman Zhong Shanshan. And at the time of writing, he’s ranked as the 13th richest person in the whole world with a net worth of around US$74.9 billion. His son, Akash, has a senior role in the family business, Reliance Industries, and played a key role in the mammoth deal between RI and Facebook.

Antilia, the Ambani family mansion. Photo: @maria_dashkevich/Instagram

Baby Prithvi’s mum, Shloka, also comes from family wealth. Her parents, Russell and Mona Mehta, own one of the world’s largest diamond jewellery companies, Rosy Blue. The family has a net worth of around US$300 million.

Political power

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Isha Ambani, daughter of Mukesh, and Isha’s mum Nita at Swadesh Bazaar, a curated showcase of traditional Indian crafts and art forms in Rajasthan, India in 2018. Photo: Reliance Industries via Reuters

Reliance Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, went from a simple start-up to a prominent tech company in just four years. In 2020 it secured a billion dollar landmark deal with Facebook and other companies that recognised the unparalleled growth in India and wanted in. This means that the family is set to move in the same circles as tech bigwigs like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

Along with that growth and wealth comes political power. The Ambani family are notoriously connected to political figures in India and have long since been accused of using their connections for business benefits, an allegation they have contested. Their power goes beyond their home country; heavyweights like Hillary and Bill Clinton, former United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon and former British prime minister Tony Blair have been known to attend the family’s weddings.