When the Ambani family gathers in public, it tends to attract attention far beyond the event itself. This dynamic was on display in Mumbai this week when Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani were among those present at Vikram Salgaocar’s wedding.
The ceremony, held at the Ambani-owned Jio World Convention Centre, thrust into the spotlight a member of the extended Ambani family who has largely stayed out of the public eye despite his pedigree and business credentials.
So who is Vikram Salgaocar and why does his name appear so rarely compared to other heirs of India’s most prominent business family?
The first grandchild with a special place in family history
Vikram Salgaocar is the son of Dipti Salgaocar and Dattaraj Salgaocar. He is the eldest grandson of Dhirubhai Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani and first cousin of Akash Ambani, Isha Ambani and Anant Ambani.
Within the family, Vikram’s position has emotional significance. In his memoir Dhirubhai Ambani: The Man I Knew, Kokilaben Ambani describes the joy of the birth of his first grandchild and recalls how Dhirubhai reacted to the Gujarati New Year when Vikram was born. “I still remember Dhirubhai’s face as he held Vikram, a sleepy little bundle and the most precious New Year’s gift we ever received,” she wrote.
She added that the Reliance founder was overwhelmed by the moment. “Dhirubhai was beside himself with joy, excited like a small child who finally got something he had always wanted,” Kokilaben noted in the book.
This closeness is reflected in the chapter contributed to the same monograph by Vikram’s father Dattaraj Salgaocar. He wrote that Dhirubhai took an active interest in Vikram’s intellectual development, sharing reading materials and news clippings while still keeping the family balance in mind. “Believing that one learns tremendously through exposure and reading, (Dhirubhai) flooded Vikram with faxes and newspaper clippings. But while he made no secret of the fact that Vikram was his favorite, he was sensitive to my daughter Isheta and made sure to give her lots of love and attention as well,” Dattaraj wrote.
Education and career choice
Unlike several members of the Ambani family who have built highly visible roles at Reliance Industries, Vikram Salgaocar has taken a quieter professional path. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and is a graduate of Wharton.
He started his career in 2007 as an Associate at McKinsey & Company before moving to Reliance Entertainment as a Business Development Manager. Over time, his focus shifted to the Salgaocar family’s own businesses.
Vikram is currently the director of VM Salgaocar Hotels and Resorts, signaling an emphasis on hospitality and leisure alongside the group’s traditional industrial interests. It is understood that he will split his time between India and the United States.
Commercial heritage of Salgaocar
On his father’s side, Vikram belongs to one of the most established business families in Goa. The VM Salgaocar Group has interests in mining, energy and infrastructure. Dattaraj Salgaocar was also closely associated with cultural initiatives and founded Sunaparanta, an institution dedicated to preserving the artistic and cultural heritage of Goa. Dipti Salgaocar serves as its vice-chairman and member of the supervisory board.
Vikram has one sister, Isheta Salgaocar, and the family is known for keeping a low public profile, with appearances largely limited to high-profile personal occasions.
A wedding that attracted national attention
This discretion is exactly why Vikram Salgaocar’s wedding attracted such widespread interest. Pictures from the celebrations showed Mukesh Ambani joining the baraat while Nita Ambani was seen greeting guests in traditional Gujarati attire. The guest list included Sachin Tendulkar, filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra and banker Uday Kotak.
Salgaocar arrived at the parade in a white Rolls-Royce, a visual that quickly went viral online and underscored how even rare public moments involving the extended Ambani family attract extraordinary attention.
Who is Shweana Poy Raiturcar?
Vikram Salgaocar married Shweana Poy Raiturcar who studied at Parsons School of Design. According to her LinkedIn profile, she interned at De Beers in New York and San Francisco and later worked for nearly three years at Rosy Blue, a jewelry firm owned by the family of Akash Ambani’s wife Shlok Mehta.