Gautam Shantilal Adani (Gujarati: [ɡəʊt̪əm ʃãn̪t̪ilal əd̪aɳiː]), born on 24 June 1962, is an Indian billionaire and the founder-chairman of the Adani Group, a multinational conglomerate active in ports, energy, logistics, and infrastructure. As of September 2025, he is India’s second-richest individual and the 29th wealthiest globally, with a net worth of $64 billion. Time magazine included him in its list of the 100 most influential people worldwide in 2022.
Early Life and Career
Born in a Gujarati Jain family in Ahmedabad, Adani moved to Mumbai as a teenager to work as a diamond sorter. In 1981, he began managing his elder brother’s plastics business in Ahmedabad, which became his gateway to global trading through PVC imports. In 1988, he founded Adani Exports (now Adani Enterprises), focusing initially on agricultural and power commodities.
The economic liberalisation of 1991 helped Adani expand into metals, textiles, and agro-products. By 2006, he entered the power generation sector, later acquiring key assets such as Abbot Point Port and the Carmichael coal mine in Australia. In February 2022, Adani briefly became Asia’s richest person, and Fortune ranked him as the world’s third richest.
Adani Group
Adani’s conglomerate has grown into India’s largest private multi-port operator, with Mundra Port handling over 210 million tons of cargo annually. The group also runs the country’s largest private thermal power plants through Adani Power, leads solar energy projects via Adani Green and Adani Solar, and operates Mumbai International Airport. In 2022, the family acquired Ambuja Cements and ACC for $10.5 billion. The group also holds a major stake in NDTV, raising discussions about editorial independence.
Controversies
Adani has faced multiple allegations, including stock manipulation by Hindenburg Research in 2023, bribery charges in the U.S. in 2024, and controversial land allocations in Bhagalpur, Bihar. The Supreme Court of India dismissed requests for investigations into the stock allegations, and the Adani Group has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Political Connections
Adani is widely regarded as close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, attracting accusations of cronyism, particularly regarding government contracts in energy and infrastructure. Both Adani and Modi have denied these claims.
Personal Life
Adani is married to Priti Vora, chairperson of the Adani Foundation, and has two sons, Karan and Jeet, who lead key divisions of the group. He survived a kidnapping attempt in 1998 and was present at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, escaping unharmed.
Gautam Adani’s journey from a small-town entrepreneur to a global business magnate reflects both the opportunities and controversies of modern Indian capitalism, combining vast economic influence with a public profile intertwined with politics and media.