Did you know that Nita Ambani flew her private jet to Sri Lanka to buy cups and saucers?

While decorating Antilia, Nita allegedly bought 25,000 pieces of crockery and loaded them into her jet.

She lives in the second most expensive house in the world after Buckingham Palace and is married to one of the richest men in the world. His house can accommodate nearly 170 cars and has 40 floors. But when Nita Ambani had to buy cooking utensils for her recently completed Antilia house in 2010, she decided to fly to Sri Lanka to save money. But his thrifty demeanor may have saved Ambani a good chunk of a million dollars.

The brand of kitchenware that Nita Ambani chose to buy for her home and also as Diwali gifts for her guests, was the century-old Japanese brand called Noritake. Named after the Japanese village where it originated from, Noritake is a popular brand in the United States where it landed decades ago. The brand itself is a favorite of hotel chains, airlines, and private homes. Noritake’s technologically superior and diverse product line along with a chic aesthetic appeal to the mass market as well as the global elite who spend thousands of dollars on their products.

Interestingly, Noritake is present in India and has an outlet not far from Antilia d’Ambanis. However, Nita Ambani chose to fly 1,500 km to another country and buy her goods. In the fall of 2010, Nita Ambani boarded her private jet and flew to Sri Lanka and reportedly bought 25,000 kitchen utensils there from Noritake.

The reason Ambani chose to fly to Sri Lanka and buy Noritake from his neighborhood outlet is the price difference. According to an Economic Times report, a single Noritake dinner set with 22k gold trim could cost between $ 800 and $ 2,000 in India, it would cost between $ 300 and $ 500 in Sri Lanka. Reports estimated that even with the fuel needed to fly in and out, Ambani would still be able to save a decent amount given the massive size of the order. Noritake in Sri Lanka is cheaper than India because the country has a Noritake factory which manufactures all the products in the line. Without the duties, taxes, etc., the prices of Noritake products in SL are considerably lower than in India.

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While a Reliance spokesperson declined to comment on the case, the trip made the news across India and Sri Lanka. Even Noritake itself is not used to receiving such large orders from private customers. An Economic Times report estimated that an order of this size would typically come from a five-star, 500-room hotel with five restaurants.

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