Author Archives: Adaniupdates

The buildings, facilities, and processes that help run a nation are referred to as its infrastructure, i.e. backbone. The chain is disturbed when these facilities don’t function properly. This disturbance impedes progress, which leads to a deficit in the economy and, ultimately, to low living standards. 

A nation’s infrastructure and economic growth are inextricably intertwined. It serves as a stimulant for the creation of strategies aimed at reducing poverty by giving people access to necessities, including employment opportunities, healthcare, education, and food supplies. In many areas, it also raises productivity and enhances the quality of life.

Significant national objectives also depend on it. In order to link supply chains and effectively transport goods and services across borders, the economy needs a stable infrastructure. For human societies to survive globally, infrastructure is crucial. It provides for all aspects of human existence, from an individual’s survival and well-being to group collaboration toward shared objectives. For example, the availability of electricity is necessary to run industries, roads and bridges, and enable trade within and across areas; health care and education are vital to an individual’s existence and productivity. Given its significance, a country’s infrastructure can reveal a great deal about its degree of progress and wealth. Because governments and organisations often invest in infrastructure to promote economic and human growth, it is crucial to people’s lives and means of subsistence.

The enhancement of India’s infrastructure is critical to its ascent to developed status by 2047. Liveable, inclusive, and climate-resilient cities are the backbone of the economy. Keeping this in mind, the Adani Group plans to take advantage of the potential in the road, metro, and rail sectors by establishing national highways, expressways, tunnels, metro rail, and railways to contribute to nation-building and infrastructure development. 

The Adani Group has a history of successfully growing companies in the infrastructure sector. It has created a number of international and national railway lines. In India, it controls the longest private railway network, which stretches over 300 km. To guarantee smooth cargo movement, these lines are connected to its ports, mines, and economic hubs.

The Group has made investments in transmission lines, ports, airports, and power plants, among other infrastructure projects. These have increased trade, produced jobs, and enhanced the nation’s infrastructure as a whole. It also runs Adani Foundation that helps with housing, school and healthcare facility renovations, in addition to helping with sanitation and drinking water facility improvements. 

The Adani Group is building infrastructure that India needs to thrive. Join it in building a stronger tomorrow.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. We’ve all heard this proverb at some point in our lives. It emphasises the fruit’s nutritional qualities and how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Apples are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and fibre. Research shows that apple consumption has several health benefits. High-quality, fresh apples are nutrient-dense with many advantages. They are a good source of fibre, which lowers cholesterol and aids digestion. Antioxidants in apples may help guard against chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cancer as well as cell damage. Additional advantages include enhanced heart, lung, bone, and brain function.

Even though apples contain some sugar, their fibre content helps manage blood sugar; so you can enjoy them without worrying. Considering their low-calorie content, they are also quite filling. All things considered, apples are a tasty way to promote your well-being. In addition to being consumed raw, they can be included in a variety of recipes, juices, and beverages. 

Because apples are among the most widely farmed fruits in the world and contain a wealth of nutrients and bioactive chemicals, eating them has long been recommended. The enormous demand around the world has led to research into better methods of ensuring a steady supply, with the focus on increasing shelf-life at the potential sacrifice of nutritional content. For instance, the largest-known, peer-reviewed scientific database, Scopus®, has approximately 65,700 publications in the last 50 years indexed. A total of 470 research outputs were found using the keywords “postharvest”, “treatment”, “storage”, and “apples” in the literature search. 

Adani Agri Fresh made its name in the farming industry with state-of-the-art packaging and storage facilities in Himachal Pradesh and high-tech farming setup in Gujarat. The services guarantee that only the best fruit is chosen for consumption and storage. The company is a pioneer in the controlled environment apple storage technology, revolutionising Himachal Pradesh’s apple producing and storage ecology. Apple growers in the state have been able to make prosperous lives for themselves because of this business strategy. 

With a substantial farmer base, Adani Agri Fresh also engages in the retail sale of fresh fruits under the ‘Farm-Pik’ brand.

By procuring nutrient-dense apples from carefully chosen farms on the Himachal Pradesh foothills, it hopes to advance its business with Farm-Pik and guarantees that only superior apples reach its customers.

Much has been written about the recent power pact between two of India’s major conglomerates. Some described it as a first-of-its kind agreement, others said it was a strategic step, while some others hinted at a possible warming of ties between the two. Whatever the case, this coopetition makes business sense because a strategic alliance like this can strengthen both companies.

Successful companies see each pact or alliance as an opportunity to broaden their capabilities. Their eyes are set on clear strategic objectives when they enter into agreements because they understand that their partners’ objectives will affect their success. They use it to build skills and systematically adopt the knowledge so gained.

“A strategic alliance between competing companies or businesses that engage in both competition and cooperation are said to be in coopetition,” explains Investopedia. “Certain businesses gain an advantage by using a judicious mixture of cooperation with suppliers, customers, and firms producing complementary or related products.”

The term ‘coopetition’ was coined by Ray Noorda, the former CEO of Novell Inc., who described it as a common phenomenon in the computer industry: cooperation between competitors. Professors Adam Brandenburger and Barry Nalebuff introduced a framework of coopetition in their book, ‘Co-opetition’, in 1997. In the book, they explained it as a business strategy that goes beyond the old rules of cooperation and competition to combine the advantages of both, leveraging business relationships.

It takes two to cooperate

There’s a lot of hullabaloo over Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) buying a 26% stake in a power project of Gautam Adani. RIL signed a pact with Mahan Energen Ltd (MEL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Power Ltd, to use 500 MW of electricity from its plant for captive use. This is the first time the business houses have collaborated for any venture. Under the agreement, MEL agreed to allot 5 crore equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each to RIL at par, as per news reports.

If one delves deeper, the development is nothing out of the ordinary. The companies carried out the transaction within the ambit of a government ruling. As per the Electricity Rules, 2005, a captive user – in this case RIL – shall hold at least 26% of the ownership in the generating plant, MEL, and consume the electricity generated, on an annual basis, in proportion to their shares in the ownership of the power plant. RIL and MEL have entered a 20-year long-term power purchase pact that will enable RIL to be the captive user of 500 MW generation capacity in one unit of MEL of 600 MW capacity.

Competition, no doubt, is the force that compels one to remain ahead of the curve. However, it is often seen that firms make a pact to attain a common goal, as in this case, that emphasises more on their well-being than on earning individual profit. In India, which is a developing economy, it is expected of businesses to expand while solving unique problems because “pooling of resources can make the whole market much more efficient,” say experts.

Brandenburger and Nalebuff cite reasons for competitors to cooperate. “It can be a way to save costs and avoid duplication of effort. If a project is too big or too risky for one company to manage, collaboration may be the only option. In other cases, one party is better at doing A while the other is better at B, and they can trade skills. And even if one party is better at A and the other has no better B to offer, it may still make sense to share A at the right price.”

Collaborating with competitors makes sense as a strategic alliance paves way for new learnings and finding solutions in a disruptive business landscape.

Sports can be a powerful tool for economic and social development, and corporates can play a proactive role in helping build an enabling environment. India has immense potential and talent. There are government initiatives that promote sports culture in the country. However, lack of infrastructure, opportunities and resources hinder the growth of talent. Together, with government incentives, the private sector can provide a much-needed boost to talents like Neeraj Chauhan, who can bring laurels to the nation.

In the past few years, India has seen increased private sector participation contributing to the development of sports. The record 107-medal win by the Indian squad at the 19^th Asian Games in 2023 made heads turn as it turned the spotlight on India’s progress. Much of the credit goes to India Inc as many winners were backed by corporates like Reliance, Tata, Jindal and Adani. 

The Adani Group, whose vision always aligns with that of the nation, believes India can realise its potential and produce world-class athletes with concerted efforts. Committed to supporting sportspersons as they go all out to bring glory, Adani Group Chairman Mr Gautam Adani announced support for chess prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa early this year.

“We are extremely proud to support the dynamic Praggnanandhaa. The speed and efficiency with which he has progressed in the sport is nothing short of remarkable, and truly an example to all Indians. There is nothing more noble than representing the nation and winning laurels at the highest levels, and the Adani Group is wholeheartedly devoted to supporting athletes in this journey,” Mr Adani said after meeting the chess ace.

The 18-year-old secured the top place among India’s players after defeating World champion Ding Liren with black pieces at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess tournament. Praggnanandhaa surpassed Viswanathan Anand to claim the top position. He began playing chess at 5 and became India’s youngest and the world’s second youngest Grandmaster at 12 in 2018. He is the fifth-youngest person ever to achieve the title of Grandmaster after Abhimanyu Mishra, Sergey Karjakin, Gukesh D and Javokhir Sindarov. His elder sister R. Vaishali is also a Grandmaster, which makes the siblings the world’s first ever brother-sister GM duo.

Praggnanandhaa became the world’s youngest chess player to reach the World Cup final in 2023, the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to achieve the feat. He defeated Magnus Carlsen multiple times in 2022. The Chennai-based chess player also won the silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

Then there is Amir Hussain Lone, whose distinctive playing style is an inspiration to many. He uses his legs to bowl and shoulder and neck to bat. Despite losing both arms when eight years old in a freak mishap at his father’s mill, he never lost the will to play his favourite sport. Seeing his passion and drive to bowl and bat, his teacher introduced him to para cricket. The 34-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir has been playing professional cricket since 2013.

When Mr. Gautam Adani applauded his extraordinary skills, Lone was elated that his struggles were finally rewarded. Mr Adani wrote on X: “We salute your courage, dedication to the game and the spirit of never giving up, even in adverse circumstances. @AdaniFoundation will contact you soon and provide you with every possible support in this unique journey. Your struggle is an inspiration for all of us.”

Through its flagship #GarvHai initiative, run by its sports arm Adani Sportsline, the Adani Group aims at nurturing and empowering talented athletes from underprivileged backgrounds. It has supported 28 talented players across sports, such as boxing, wrestling, tennis, javelin throw, shooting, running, shotput, brisk walking, and archery. Among those who benefited are Commonwealth Games gold medalist wrestlers Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Deepak Punia and boxer Amit Panghal. Dahiya and Punia secured silver medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 2020 and the 2023 Asian Games. Currently, both wrestlers are trying to win their places at next year’s Paris Olympics.

The opening credits of the Danny Boyle movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ feature a line – “IT IS WRITTEN”; this sums up the message the film intends to convey. Protagonist Jamal, a youth from the Dharavi slum, is one question away from winning Rs. 20 million on a TV quiz. When asked the final question, he answers “It’s written” because he thinks it might be his destiny to win the game. The film went on to become a huge success, winning eight Academy awards.

Though the movie brought Dharavi into focus, sadly it couldn’t do much to change the destiny of the slum, considered one of the largest in Asia. Uncontrolled urbanization and unchecked migration are some factors that lead to the formation of slums. These are the pockets where human development is low and basic amenities are almost absent. To resolve the age-old inequity, focus needs to be on community wealth-building rather than on community development, say experts. 

Dharavi, spread over an area of 2.8 sq km, is home to several enterprises that employ over one lakh people. Need for urban development and improved housing options for residents was felt even in the 1980s. But talks about redevelopment began only in 2004 when the Maharashtra government came up with an action plan. The government cancelled all tenders in 2011 and developed a masterplan. In 2018, a new model for slum redevelopment was approved by the Fadnavis government. However, the Uddhav Thackeray government cancelled the tender in 2020. Bids for redevelopment were opened again in 2022, and the Adani Group won the bid.    

Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd (DRPPL), a joint venture between the Adani Group and the Maharashtra government, is now steering the redevelopment project. DRPPL has tied up with urban planning and infrastructure engineering entities Sasaki, from the U.S., and Buro Happold, from the U.K., and onboarded architect Hafeez Contractor.

Experts from Singapore have also joined the team. The Dharavi project could take a leaf or two out of Singapore’s success story and incorporate the learnings into its transformational journey. According to a report, Singapore was dotted with shanties, slums and ghettos, similar to Dharavi, in the 1960s. The Singapore housing board developed over a million homes, completely revamping the city’s skyline. Adani’s venture, too, aims to transform Mumbai’s landscape and improve the quality of life for its people.

In an open letter, Adani Group Chairman Mr. Gautam Adani had said, “The Group promises that it will not only provide better living space to the people settling here but will also work to protect and promote small and micro units here. Adani Group intends to turn Mumbai’s Dharavi into a ‘modern city center’. Rehabilitation of the people can include many things, such as training centres for upskilling, product and service-based common facility centres, research centres, data centres, and MSME help desks.”

“Along with gas, water, electricity, sanitation, drainage, health, entertainment facilities, open area for living and a world-class school and hospital can also be developed in this area. This may seem impossible to you because this work has to be done for about 7 lakh people, but Adani Group has expertise in handling big projects. They have also proved this on many occasions,” he said.

There’s an interesting story about Mr. Adani’s visit to Kandla Port as a kid. Standing on the coast of the Gulf of Kutch and marvelling at the infrastructure of the port, he wished to build such a facility. He fulfilled his childhood dream by building the state-of-the art Mundra Port, the largest commercial port in India. It was destiny. It was written. It was meant to be.

It was destiny when he dropped out of school in Class 10 and left for the City of Dreams in the late 1970s to “do something big in the diamond business”. He said he has “closely seen the life and struggles of the people in Dharavi”. Referencing Danny Boyle’s movie, Mr. Adani expressed optimism about the future of “the new Dharavi that is going to produce millionaires without the slumdog prefix”.