In an exclusive interview with India TV, Gautam Adani, the third-richest man in the world, stated that claims that his money was fueled by his strong ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were baseless because of his collaboration with numerous opposition-ruled states. “We aim to invest as much as possible in each state. The Adani Group is really pleased that it now operates in 22 states,not all are governed by the BJP. We have no issues with any state governments, as far as I know. Even in the Left-ruled state of Kerala, Mamata didi’s West Bengal, Naveen Patnaik’s Odisha, Jaganmohan Reddy’s state, and even KCR’s state, we are functioning.”
Rajat Sharma, the show’s host, had Mr. Adani on. The 60-year-old said: “You will never receive any personal assistance from Modi ji, I want to make that clear. You can discuss with him policies that are in the country’s best interest, but once a policy is defined, it applies to everyone, not just the Adani group, “he added
Additionally, Mr. Adani claimed that there is a misconception that his multibillion dollar company is highly leveraged, making banks and regular people’s savings exposed. He added, “Our assets are four times our borrowings,” noting that throughout the previous seven to eight years, both income and loans have increased.
The opposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s frequent accusations of crony capitalism against Adani, according to Adani, are “part of the business of politics.” He used Rajasthan as an illustration; Rajasthan is ruled by Mr. Gandhi’s Congress party.
“Investment is part of our regular schedule. On the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s invitation, I attended the Rajasthan Investors Summit. Later, Rahul (Gandhi) ji commended our Rajasthan investment. I am aware that Rahul’s policies do not hinder development.” He said, mentioning his 68,000 crore investment in the arid region.
Adani claimed that those who dismiss his ties with PM Modi as a source of wealth ignore the reality that his success began when the Congress controlled the government.
The fortune of Adani has increased more recently than that of any other billionaire. His company is worth $200 billion and consists of massive infrastructure projects, green energy, ports, mining, and airports. Adani asserted that since his business has never won a contract without competing, there is no chance of it receiving preferential treatment.
Adani kept it short and sweet when asked what his secret to success was: “mehnat, mehnat, mehnat” (hard work, hard work, hard work).
