India’s leading business magnates, including Mukesh Ambani, Kumar Mangalam Birla, N Chandrasekaran, and Gautam Adani, are gearing up to participate in the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22.
The guest list for the event, expected to exceed 10,000 attendees, boasts the presence of not only business tycoons but also notable figures from the entertainment, sports, politics, faith, public life, and arts sectors.
According to an ET report, Sanjiv Mehta, former CEO of Hindustan Unilever (HUL), expressed his anticipation for the event, describing it as a significant day for Hindus and Indians. “I really look forward to the event. It is a big day for all Hindus and for Indians. For me, it is a spiritual trip as a Hindu,” Mehta shared during a recent interview.
Mehta, alongside business leaders such as Anil Agarwal of Vedanta Group, Ajay Piramal of Piramal Enterprises, Gautam Singhania of Raymond Group, and Venu Srinivasan, chairman emeritus of TVS, is among the distinguished guests invited by the temple trust.
In addition to prominent figures from the business world, Bharat Forge’s Baba Kalyani, Amit Kalyani, Emcure Pharmaceuticals’ CEO and MD Satish Mehta, and L&T CMD SN Subrahmanyam are also included in the exclusive guest list.
A top leader of a prominent Indian conglomerate expressed deep emotion upon receiving the invitation from the trust. “The Ayodhya Temple has been a place of faith and spiritual importance for Hindus since time immemorial. And it has always been on my ‘must-visit’ list,” the tycoon stated during an interview with the financial daily.
To ensure the smooth conduct of the event, extensive security arrangements have been put in place, with hotels in Ayodhya fully booked. Strict protocols have been established for the participation of sadhus, VIPs, and VVIPs, with each invitee receiving a detailed invitation letter emphasizing the ‘one-card-one-person’ policy.
Many business leaders plan to utilize private aircraft for travel to Ayodhya and are expected to choose Radisson, among other prominent hotels in the temple town, for accommodation. The government is making preparations for airstrips in Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, and Azamgarh to accommodate the anticipated arrival of around 100 planes during the ceremony.
It is noteworthy that L&T, India’s largest engineering company, has undertaken the design and construction of the temple without any charges.
