Allegations against Adanis: Timing appears designed to spark debates in Parliament

By NS Venkataraman*

It appears to be happening at regular intervals—one agency or another in the USA raises allegations against the Adani Group. Evidently, the Adani Group has become highly prominent in the global stock market and industrial arena due to its ability to identify project opportunities and execute them on strict schedules across various countries, successfully raising resources from investors worldwide. Some distant critics even speculate whether the Adani Group is overreaching or whether its ambitious investments and targets might lead to a bubble that could burst sooner or later.

The latest allegation from the USA claims that the Adani Group bribed government officials in India to secure licenses for solar projects.

A logical question arises: how can a U.S. court issue an arrest warrant against Adani for an alleged and unproven bribe purportedly offered in India? Does a U.S. court have universal jurisdiction? To justify the warrant, a strained argument has been presented that the Adani Group allegedly sought to raise funds from U.S. investors while concealing the so-called “bribe schemes.” However, this raises further questions—does such an allegation justify an arrest warrant, particularly when no evidence has been provided to substantiate the bribery claim? The Adani Group has dismissed these allegations as baseless. If no bribes were paid or intended to be paid, the question of concealing such actions from investors does not arise.

Can there be a more absurd justification for issuing an arrest warrant than suggesting Adani "promised" to offer bribes without clear evidence that the bribes were actually paid?

Previously, another U.S. agency, Hindenburg, made wild allegations against the Adani Group, accusing it of manipulating the global stock market. Subsequent investigations by Indian regulatory agencies found these allegations to be untrue and dismissed them.

Whenever such allegations are made from the U.S., the immediate result is a sharp crash in the value of Adani Group shares, severely damaging its reputation. However, it is consistently observed that the value of these shares rebounds quickly, often reaching or exceeding previous levels. This trend suggests that investor confidence in the Adani Group's capabilities and project commitments remains high, and these allegations are largely dismissed with contempt.

In India, such allegations inevitably provoke swift reactions from political parties and activists, many of whom demand that Adani be punished or even arrested. This raises concerns—why do these parties and activists react so quickly without conducting impartial investigations or studying the allegations in detail? Some critics even speculate whether these groups have prior knowledge of the allegations or arrest warrants.

Another noticeable pattern is that these allegations frequently surface just days before the start of a parliamentary session in India. This timing appears designed to spark debates in Parliament and generate extensive media coverage.

Despite these controversies, the Adani Group has emerged as one of India’s foremost multinational corporations, investing in and acquiring projects globally. It owns coal mines in Australia, acquired a majority stake in two Egyptian maritime companies—Transmar and TCI—in 2022, and is offering to develop renewable energy projects in Sri Lanka, among other ventures. Competing with multinational companies, the Adani Group has consistently won contracts and delivered projects efficiently.

Domestically, the group has also undertaken several major projects in India, often as the lowest bidder or in cases where other companies showed little interest. Many of these projects have been completed on time and operate at high efficiency, contrasting with delays and inefficiencies in projects by other companies.

The Adani Group’s substantial contributions to India’s industrial and infrastructure development deserve recognition and appreciation. The controversies surrounding some of its projects often seem rooted not in its practices but in baseless rumors floated by vested interests. To date, no allegations against the Adani Group have been conclusively proven in any court of law, either in India or abroad. For instance, the controversy surrounding the group’s renewable energy project in Sri Lanka appears to stem from political and procedural considerations rather than technical or commercial deficiencies.

A point of concern is the tendency of some political parties and activists in India to link the Adani Group to the Modi government whenever allegations arise, seemingly to tarnish the government’s image and gain political mileage through baseless propaganda.

---

*Trustee, Nandini Voice for the Deprived, Chennai

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov, the artist who survived Stalin's cultural purges

By Harsh Thakor* Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov (September 14, 1885 – April 20, 1964) was a Soviet artist, professor, academician, and teacher. His work was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest artistic honour of the USSR. His paintings traced the development of socialist realism in the visual arts while retaining qualities drawn from impressionism. Gerasimov reconciled a lyrical approach to nature with the demands of Soviet socialist ideology.

Development vs community: New coal politics and old conflicts in Madhya Pradesh

By Deepmala Patel* The Singrauli region of Madhya Pradesh, often described as “India’s energy capital,” has for decades been a hub of coal mining and thermal power generation. Today, the Dhirouli coal mine project in this district has triggered widespread protests among local communities. In recent years, the project has generated intense controversy, public opposition, and significant legal and social questions. This is not merely a dispute over one mine; it raises a larger question—who pays the price for energy development? Large corporate beneficiaries or the survival of local communities?

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Public money, private profits: Crop insurance scheme as goldmine for corporates

By Vikas Meshram The farmer in India is not merely a food provider; he is the soul of the nation. For centuries, enduring natural calamities and bearing debt generation after generation while remaining loyal to the soil, this community now finds itself trapped in a different kind of crisis. In February 2016, the Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with the stated objective of freeing farmers from the shackles of debt. It was an ambitious attempt to provide a strong safety net to cultivators repeatedly devastated by excessive rainfall, drought, and hailstorms.

Search This Blog