Latest news with #VarunNavani
NDTV
a day ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Couple Paid Up To Rs 56 Lakh For Each Of 28 Spots Booked For Wall Street 'Baraat'
Varun Navani and Amanda Soll's extravagant baraat shut down Wall Street and gave New York a taste of a colourful Indian wedding celebrations. The couple filed for as many as 28 permits to make this possible for their big day, as per the city records viewed by the New York Post. Mr Navani and Ms Soll spent between $25,000 (Rs 21 lakh) and $66,000 (Rs 56 lakh) per location to shut down Wall Street for the special occasion. A video of the grand Indian wedding celebration was shared on Instagram by DJ AJ. "We shut down Wall Street for a 400-person baraat- who would've ever thought? Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime kind of magic," the DJ wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DJ AJ (@djajmumbai) In the video, which has garnered over 2 million views so far, people, dressed in their traditional best, are seen grooving to the peppy beats of dhol and electrifying music. Who Are Varun Navani And Amanda Soll? According to their LinkedIn profiles, Mr Navani is the CEO of Artificial Intelligence platform Rolai, while Ms Soll is the director of legal compliance and risk management at MasterCard. The couple hails from Boston, Massachusetts. As per their wedding page on The Knot, the couple's wedding festivities kicked off on May 23 at the Conrad hotel. This was followed by a Sangeet ceremony at The Glasshouse. On May 24, the celebrations started with brunch and tea at the Conrad. The couple also hosted a reception for their guests. For the big day, Mr Navani picked a finely tailored sherwani, layered with pearl necklaces. Meanwhile, his bride looked stunning in a deep red Sabyasachi lehenga. Another round of breakfast was organised by the couple on May 25 before their Jewish wedding. It was held at Cipriani, followed by an after-party at Slate.
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Who is Varun Navani, Indian-origin Gujarati techie whose 'baraat' halted Wall Street? Here's how much he paid to book this famous venue
Image: Instagram/Screengrab An Indian wedding that brought New York's famous Wall Street to a halt, is trending on social media platforms, and netizens are amazed at how the groom, Varun Navani– an Indian-origin techie of Gujarati ancestry– managed to pull off the remarkable feat of blocking one of busiest spots in The Big Apple. The wedding on Wall Street According to media reports, around 400 guests attended the extravagant wedding ceremony, which went viral on the internet after video of the event, showing the bride and the groom, as well as the 'baraatis', dancing to popular Bollywood numbers on Wall Street. Another notable thing about the event which stood out was that even non-Indian guests had donned traditional Indian party attires, giving the ceremony a uniquely Indian look, as if it was taking place somewhere in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, or any other Indian metro city. 'We shut down Wall Street for a 400-person Baraat, Who would've ever thought?! (sic),' wrote the DJ who played at the wedding event as she shared several videos from the ceremony on his Instagram page @djajmumbai. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DJ AJ (@djajmumbai) How much did Varun Navani pay for booking the Wall Street? As per media reports, Wall Street can be rented for $11,000 with proper permits, while the cost of blocking each area in the vicinity ranges between $25,000 to $60,000. These included roads, sidewalks and alleyways in New York's bustling Financial District, commonly known as the Wall Street. With over 400 guests, the event had the typical vibe of an extravagant Indian wedding procession, with the New York Mayor's Office describing it as an 'extra large' event. Who was the bride? Varun Navani married Amanda Soll, a risk–management legal compliance director at MasterCard, in a grand wedding at the Wall Street, which has earned him the moniker 'The groom of Wall Street', a play on words of the famous Hollywood flick 'The Wolf of Wall Street' starring Leonardo Di Caprio. According to reports, Amanda was draped in a red Sabyasachi lehenga, looking very much like an Indian bride, as her friends and family attended the key event. Meanwhile, Varun had donned a stylish ivory sherwani, and made his entry in a vintage white car accompanied by groomsmen. The grand wedding has gone viral on social media, and is being talked about across India as well as the United States. Who is Varun Navani? Varun Navani is a Gujarat-born techie who now resides in Boston, and is the founder of and CEO of Rolai– an AI platform that provides adoption solution and data analytical skills for higher education institutions. Notably, Varun Navani was featured in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list from Boston in 2023, as per his LinkedIn page.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
What is Green Fee? Hawaii introduces first-of-its-kind tourist tax
In a landmark move, Hawaii has become the first U.S. state to implement a climate impact fee, introducing a new tax on tourists to support environmental initiatives. Announced on Tuesday, the fee is designed to fund climate change resiliency efforts and preserve the islands' natural resources. Also Read: Who are Varun Navani and Amanda Soll? Meet Indian couple whose baraat shut down Wall Street According to a press release by Governor Josh Green's office, the nation's first 'Green Fee,' Hawaii's Act 96, will increase the state's transient accommodations tax (TAT) by 0.75%, bringing the total to 11% on nightly lodging rates. Set to take effect on January 1, 2026, the added revenue will directly support climate resiliency and environmental protection efforts across the islands. The fee will apply to the travellers who will stay in hotels, short-term accommodations, and, for the first time, cruise ships. Previously exempt from the TAT, cruise ship passengers will now be included under the new law, which aims to promote 'equity across the tourism industry.' For travelers, the added cost on a $300 nightly hotel stay, the new 0.75% Green Fee amounts to just $2.25 per night, as reported by USA Today. The new Green Fee is designed to generate funding for climate change mitigation, environmental stewardship, hazard mitigation, sustainable tourism, invasive species control, wildlife conservation, beach management and restoration, and a green jobs youth corps. In a statement, Green said, 'As an island chain, Hawaii cannot wait for the next disaster to hit before taking action. We must build resiliency now, and the Green Fee will provide the necessary financing to ensure resources are available for our future." Also Read: Who is Robert Armstrong, columnist who coined the term Trump Always Chickens Out (TACO)? The new Green Fee tax is projected to generate around $100 million each year. While specific projects will be finalized in the next legislative session, the funds are slated to support a wide range of initiatives, including environmental stewardship, climate and hazard resiliency, and sustainable tourism across the Hawaiian Islands.
News18
2 days ago
- Business
- News18
Who Is Varun Navani, Indian-Origin Gujarati Techie Whose Baraat Brought Wall Street To A Halt?
Last Updated: Varun Navani, CEO of AI company Rolai, married Amanda Soll in an extravagant Indian wedding that shut down Wall Street, featuring 400 guests and viral videos. The groom of the Indian wedding that halted the Wall Street, a bustling hub in New York, for some time is a techie with Gujarati roots. Indian-origin Varun Navani is the CEO of an AI company, Rolai. The extravagant wedding gained all the limelight after videos from the event went viral on social media. The groom was also seen shaking a leg on Bollywood songs that echoed through the Wall Street. What made this event stand out from other Indian weddings taking place abroad was the Indian attire which was adopted by non-Indian guests too. About 400 guests attended the event, shutting down the Wall Street during the Baraat (wedding procession) ceremony. The video clips were also shared on Instagram by the DJ (@djajmumbai) at the wedding. Sharing the video, he wrote, 'We shut down Wall Street for a 400-person Baraat," shared their DJ, wrote alongside a clip of the epic moment. 'Who would've ever thought?! (sic)" According to media reports, the area can be rented for $11,000 with proper permits. The vibrant gathering adorned in designer clothes got the netizens wondering who the couple was. Varun Navani got hitched to Amanda Soll. The couple hails from Boston. While Varun is a techie, Amanda is a risk-management legal compliance director at MasterCard. All About Varun Navani Varun Navani is the founder and CEO of Rolai, an enterprise AI platform and adoption solution for higher ed institutions. Rolai helps users to learn data analytical skills through AI and machine learning. In a remarkable feat, Navani made it to the list in Forbes 30 under 30 from Boston in 2023, according to his LinkedIn bio. As per media reports, every region blocked for the wedding costed between $25,000 to $60,000 for pavements and roads of the 'Financial District'. The parade was termed as an 'extra large" event by the New York's Mayor Office. As per reports, Soll donned a red Sabyasachi lehenga as she celebrated the key event of her life with her family and friends. On the other hand, Navani wore an elegant ivory sherwani. He made a classic entry into the big-fat Indian wedding in a vintage white car with who seemed to be the groomsmen. This energy-filled event not only gained attention in India but across US too. Watch CNN-News18 here. News18's viral page features trending stories, videos, and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : New York, United States of America (USA) First Published: May 30, 2025, 17:25 IST News viral Who Is Varun Navani, Indian-Origin Gujarati Techie Whose Baraat Brought Wall Street To A Halt?
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Wall Street becomes desi dance floor as 400-person 'baraat' shuts down Manhattan; meet the couple behind the viral video
A big, fat wedding has now become quite common in India, but what if we told you that people have now moved way forward from following the conventional wedding these days? Something similar was noticed recently when a grand Indian wedding procession with a pinch of desi celebration was taken to New York's iconic Wall Street. The wedding procession video is now doing the rounds on social media and has captivated the internet with its vibrant display. In the viral video, a procession or baraat (groom's wedding procession) of around 400 people is seen dancing on the streets of Lower Manhattan. Baraat at Wall Street: Wedding procession in New York goes viral The video has gone viral on the internet, which shows individuals present in the procession dressed in traditional Indian attire. Moreover, the group was seen dancing joyously to DJ beats, temporarily transforming New York's heart into a full-blown Indian wedding function. The DJ playing at the procession took to his Instagram and shared the video with a caption saying that they shut down Wall Street for a 400-person baraat—"Who would've ever thought?!" "A once-in-a-lifetime kind of magic," he added. But you must be wondering whose wedding it was that turned into an internet sensation overnight. Meet Varun Navani and Amanda Soll, whose baraat shut down Wall Street The groom of Wall Street has been identified as Varun Navani, who is the man behind the viral 400-member 'wedding procession.' Navani is reportedly the CRO of a tech company who originally belongs to Gujarat. Well, according to Financial Express, with complete permits, the area can be rented for $11,000 (INR 941,132.50). The bride, Amanda, is a risk-management legal compliance director at MasterCard. According to Post reports, the cost of the pavements and roadways in the "Financial District" in each area that was closed for the wedding ranged from $25,000 to $60,000 (21,38,937.50-51,33,450 INR). In order to afford and acquire more than 25 special permits, netizens speculated that "they must be billionaires." The Mayor's Office of New York categorised the baarat as a "extra large" event. Netizens react to the viral Wall Street procession As soon as the video surfaced on social media, netizens quickly shared the video and shared their thoughts. Some even trolled them, calling it 'utter nonsense'. While one wrote, "What is wrong with this? They have take permit, and if the city allows what's the issue?" "with all due respect there's nothing to debate since they had permits and its just mainlanders with a tendency to be outraged over ridiculous issues instead of things that actually matter," another added.
