Hindujas cut back on wedding spree

The Hinduja brothers, the Indian billionaires whose links with Lord (Peter) Mandelson forced his second resignation from the cabinet in the so-called 'passports-for-favours' affair in 2001, appear to be riding out the recession by cutting their cloth according to their circumstance.

Although they are still reputed to be worth £6.2 billion, the pair, whose fortune derives from banking, oil and chemicals, have decided to scale down the number of parties they are throwing to celebrate the wedding of Ambika, a 29-year-old film producer and daughter of the youngest of the four Hinduja brothers, Ashok, in Mumbai today.

However, eldest brother, Srichand Hinduja, told the Daily Telegraph that while the number of functions is down from five to just two, the guest list could not be trimmed because of his family's global connections.

Although “there will be fewer decorations" according to Srichand, what celebrations there are remain lavish. On Wednesday evening 6,000 'family and friends' attended the first event, at the exclusive Royal Western India Turf Club Racecourse. Not among their number – spoiling Indian media speculation - were Tony Blair and Lord Mandelson.

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