Addressing students and faculty at IIT Kharagpur, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani warned that India’s biggest battles today are not confined to its borders but extend to technology, energy, and data. “The battlefield is not just about protecting our borders—it is about securing our technology leadership,” he said, urging India to lead rather than remain a low-cost participant in the global race.
Warning on Strategic Vulnerabilities
Adani flagged India’s heavy dependence on imports in critical sectors. He pointed out that 90% of semiconductors are imported, leaving the digital economy vulnerable to sanctions or supply shocks. On energy, he noted that India imports 85% of its oil, making growth hostage to global geopolitics. He also highlighted risks around data, saying, “When our data crosses India’s borders, it becomes raw material for foreign algorithms.”
Atma Nirbharta as the “Second Freedom Struggle”
Calling self-reliance the new independence, Adani described the present era as India’s “second freedom struggle.” He warned that companies and institutions unable to keep pace with AI and robotics-led disruptions could quickly vanish. “Cost advantages will disappear overnight if we don’t innovate,” he said, framing students as the “new freedom fighters of Bharat.”
Lessons From His Journey
Reflecting on his own life, Adani recalled moving to Mumbai at 16 to work in diamond trading, running his brother’s polymer unit at 19, and later seizing the opportunities of India’s 1991 liberalisation. These steps laid the foundation for the Adani Group’s rise into ports, energy, airports, and logistics—today one of the largest integrated business networks in the country.
Call for Academia-Industry Collaboration
Adani urged academia and industry to work hand-in-hand, proposing “living laboratories” at IIT Kharagpur for applied research in renewable energy, ports, smart mobility, and logistics. He also announced the Adani–IIT Platinum Jubilee Change Makers Fellowship, designed to channel top student talent into projects of national importance.
Four Principles for a Stronger India
In his closing remarks, Adani outlined four guiding principles:
- Fight as the next generation of freedom fighters.
- Build first for Bharat.
- Strengthen national foundations in infrastructure and technology.
- March as one team with academia and industry aligned.
“One train takes you to a salary. The other takes you to a legacy,” he told students. “Only one train carries the pride of building Bharat.”
Inspiration From History
Adani invoked the memory of Tridib Kumar Chaudhuri, a 19-year-old freedom fighter jailed in Hijli during the independence movement, urging students to show similar courage and channel innovation as their weapon in India’s modern struggle for self-reliance.
