India Modi's weakened rule may herald shift in tycoons' fortunes
The Guardian|June 08, 2024
Weeks before the election that weakened Narendra Modi's grip on India, the rich, powerful, and beautiful descended on his home state of Gujarat for what one Indian writer described as "likely the most ostentatious pre-wedding ceremony the modern world has ever seen".
Tom Burgis
India Modi's weakened rule may herald shift in tycoons' fortunes

In March, to celebrate the marriage of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Ivanka Trump flew in. As did the entertainment: Rihanna and Akon.

Authorities had reportedly granted special permission for non-military jets to land at the venue's nearest airport, usually reserved for India's armed forces. Jairam Ramesh, an opposition politician, posted on X at the time: "When it comes to helping out his rich industrialist friends, prime minister Modi is willing to do anything."

After a decade in power that has, according to a recent study, left 40% of wealth in the hands of 1% of the population, the inequality that Modi's favoured tycoons personify may help explain the shock loss of his Bharatiya Janata party's parliamentary majority this week.

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