Indian-origin billionaire Pankaj Oswal and his wife Radhika Oswal recently purchased one of the world’s most expensive homes in Switzerland. Located in the picturesque Swiss village of Gingins, Villa Vari is a 4.3 lakh square feet countryside retreat that overlooks the snow-capped peaks of the Alps.
According to a Times of India report, the Oswals paid a staggering $200 million (Rs 1,649 crore approx.) for the lavish property in Switzerland. It is considered to be one of the world’s top 10 most expensive homes. Once owned by Christina Onassis, the daughter of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, the villa underwent a redesign after it was purchased by the Indian-origin Oswal family.
According to GQ, celebrated interior designer Jeffrey Wilkes was tasked with renovating the property. Wilkes is known for his work in iconic properties like Oberoi Udaivilas and the Leela Hotels.
The Oswal family
Pankaj Oswal is the son of industrialist Abhay Kumar Oswal, founder of Oswal Agro Mills and Oswal Greentech who passed away in 2016. The Oswal Group Global, led by Pankaj Oswal, has interests in petrochemicals, real estate, fertilisers, and mining.
Pankaj Oswal grew up in India and studied at the Manipal Institute of Technology. He is married to Radhika Oswal and the couple has two daughters together.
In 2013, the jet-setting Oswal family moved from Australia to Switzerland.
Villa Vari is so named after Pankaj and Radhika Oswal’s two daughters – Vasundhara Oswal, 24, who serves as Executive Director of PRO Industries PTE LTD and Director General at Axis Minerals, and Ridi Oswal, 19, who is currently studying chemical engineering in London.
Glimpses of Villa Vari
Ridi Oswal is an active Instagram user who often shares glimpses of her opulent home on the social media platform. In February 2022, she shared that her family had moved into Villa Vari after a three-year wait.
"Being Indian and living abroad you always miss the smallest things about your culture, especially in regards to aesthetics, food and even the people. It was my family's dream to create a little India away from India and I’m glad to see they have succeeded in doing so," she added in a more recent post from May 2023, adding that the property was rebuilt completely from the ground-up to accommodate the Oswal family's requirements.
Interior designer Jeffrey Wilkes revealed that the Oswal family wanted their home to reflect their Indian heritage while still retaining a cosmopolitan aesthetic. He transformed it with liberal use of colours, opulent chandeliers, statement furniture and more.
The villa has been decorated with custom interior installations sourced from all around the world, according to Hello Magazine. An accent wall in the mansion, for example, features a series of intricately carved niches inspired by the Amber Palace of Jaipur, while many chandeliers have been sourced from Turkey and Morocco.
The villa also features a private gym, a gold-inlaid spa and wellness wing and large French windows that offer sweeping views of the gardens and snow-capped mountains.
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