The U.S. authorities have indicted the Adani Group and several Indian states, including Jammu and Kashmir, over allegations of bribing Indian officials to secure lucrative solar power contracts.
According to an India Today report, the indictment claims that the Adani Group funneled $265 million in bribes, a portion of which allegedly went to officials in Andhra Pradesh. The payments were reportedly made to help secure deals with state-run electricity distribution companies between 2021 and 2023.
States named in the investigation include Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Andhra Pradesh. During this period, Andhra Pradesh was governed by Jagan Reddy’s YSR Congress party.
The heart of the case involves a contract obtained by Adani Green Energy and Azure Power to supply 12 gigawatts of solar energy to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). However, SECI faced challenges in selling the energy due to its high cost, leading the Adani Group to allegedly bribe state governments, including Jammu and Kashmir, to purchase the energy.
The indictment further claims that $228 million of the bribes were directed to a senior official in Andhra Pradesh, referred to as “Foreign Official #1.” It is said that Gautam Adani, the chairman of the Adani Group, met this official multiple times in 2021, which led to Andhra Pradesh’s power distribution companies purchasing 7 gigawatts of solar energy—the largest deal of its kind.
After Andhra Pradesh, other states such as Odisha, Jammu Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu reportedly agreed to purchase the energy between mid-2021 and early 2022.
The indictment also reveals that encrypted communications and code names, including “Numero Uno” for Gautam Adani, were used to hide the illicit activities. U.S. authorities have issued arrest warrants for Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, and plan to involve international law enforcement in the investigation.
The Adani Group has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “baseless” and vowed to pursue all legal options to clear its name.
