The family of billionaire Mukesh Ambani has decided to delay a cultural festival in New York, citing “unforeseen circumstances”. The announcement follows Washington’s move to sharply raise duties on Indian imports in response to New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian crude.
The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) did not specify what prompted the postponement of the “India Weekend”, originally scheduled to open on September 12 at the Lincoln Center. However, the decision comes against a backdrop of deteriorating trade relations between Washington and New Delhi.
Donald Trump last week doubled tariffs on a range of Indian goods, lifting some duties to as much as 50%. US officials have condemned India’s imports of discounted Russian oil, arguing they weaken efforts to curb Moscow’s war in Ukraine, though they have not linked the Ambani family directly to the dispute.
Reliance Industries, controlled by Mukesh Ambani, runs the world’s largest refining hub in Gujarat and is India’s leading buyer of Russian crude.
Nita Ambani, wife of Mukesh Ambani and chairperson of the cultural centre, was to host the event featuring Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna, designer Manish Malhotra, and the stage production `The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation'
India has defended its purchases from Russia — which supplied about 35% of its oil needs in the first half of 2025 — as an economic necessity, while accusing the US and European Union of unfairly targeting New Delhi over energy policy.
Reliance has an agreement with Russia’s Rosneft to import around 500,000 barrels of crude per day, the largest such deal between the two countries. At the same time, the conglomerate has significant business interests in the US.
In his annual Reliance AGM address on Friday, Ambani called on Indian enterprises to “work together with unity as a grand coalition” to insulate the economy from external pressures, stressing the need for self-reliance in core technologies and industries.
“This is not a cancellation, only a pause, and we remain fully committed to bringing NMACC to New York at a later date,” the centre said, adding that ticket buyers would receive refunds.
