Gautam Adani talks candidly about Rajiv Gandhi & PM Modi: Shared stories that made him stronger
In a candid interview with India Today Group, Adani Group Chairman and Founder, Gautam Adani talks about his entrepreneurial journey and the policies of various governments that helped propel his professional success.
Refuting allegations of benefiting from his relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the growth of his business empire cannot be linked to any one political leader. He said the journey of the Adani group began more than three decades ago when Congress’s Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister.
“PM Modi and I, both are from Gujarat and that makes me an easy target of such baseless allegations,” Gautam Adani said.
“These allegations suffer from a recent bias, viewing our group’s success through a short-term lens. The fact of the matter is that my professional success is not because of any individual leader but because of the policy and institutional reforms initiated by several leaders and governments during a long period of over three decades,” Mr. Adani said.
Gautam Adani
Chairperson of Adani Group
- Born: 24 June 1962 (age 60 years), Ahmedabad
- Net worth: 12,550 crores USD (2022) Forbes
- Spouse: Priti Adani
- Children: Karan Adani, Jeet Adani
- Organizations founded: Adani Power, Adani Group, MORE
- Siblings: Vinod Adani, Mahasukh Adani, Rajesh Shantilal Adani, Vasant S. Adani
- Grandchild: Anuradha Karan Adani
Adani said, “When I look back on my entrepreneurial journey, I can divide it into four phases. It would surprise many to know that it all started during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi as prime minister when he liberalized the EXIM policy [Export Import Policy] for the first time and many items were brought into OGL [Open General Licence] List for the first time. That is what helped me to start my export house. But for Rajiv Gandhi, my journey as an entrepreneur would never have taken off.”
He said, “The second big push I got was in 1991 when the duo of PM Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Manmohan Singh initiated comprehensive economic reforms. Like many other entrepreneurs, I too was a beneficiary of those reforms.”
The business tycoon attributed the “third turning point” of his career to the selection of BJP member Keshubhai Patel as chief minister of Gujarat in 1995 and a focus on coastal development that led to him building his first port in Mundra.
“The fourth turning point was in 2001 when Gujarat focused massively on development under the leadership of Chief Minister Narendra Modi. His policies and their implementation not only changed the economic scenario of the state…it also enabled industries and employment to take off like never before,” Mr. Adani said.
“Today, under his able leadership, we are witnessing a similar resurgence nationally and internationally, where a new India is now establishing itself,” he added.
In response to a question regarding his inspiration, he said “as an ordinary man, the courage, strength, resilience, and tenacity of the average Indian are very inspiring and motivating for me. Let me tell you, in the second edition of the Green Talks series, I was very inspired by the stories of Arunima Sinha and Kiran Kanojia, who conquered the world despite losing their legs. Arunima conquers the heights of Mount Everest and Kiran, a blade runner, is running a marathon. Both are incomparable and the pride of India. These are the real heroes of New India.
Arunima Sinha and Kiran Kanojia’s stories brought tears to my eyes. I salute their spirit. Can there be any more incredible story than these? Seeing them has strengthened my belief that no machine can be greater than the courage of a human. The stories of such people inspire me a lot.
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