Early Life
Gautam Shantilal Adani was born on June 24, 1962, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, into a Gujarati Jain family. His father was a textile merchant. Adani dropped out of college after the second year of his commerce degree. At 18, he moved to Mumbai and worked as a diamond sorter before starting his own brokerage.
Rise to Success
Adani's journey into global trading began with importing polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a key raw material for plastics, and later establishing the Adani Group in 1988. The group developed its port in Mundra in 1990, which became India's largest private port. Adani expanded into coal trading and power generation, and later acquired assets in Australia. He became Asia's richest person in 2022.
Key Business Strategies
Adani's business strategy includes debt-financed acquisitions and close ties with the Indian government. The Adani Group expanded into various sectors, including ports, airports, power generation, and green energy. His focus is on infrastructure development and has been described as motivated by “nation building”.
Philanthropy
The Adani Foundation, led by his wife Priti Adani, is involved in various philanthropic activities, including sizeable COVID-19 support. Adani has committed to contribute to healthcare, education, and skill development in rural India and facilitating India's green energy transition.