U.S. Accuses Gautam Adani of Bribery
The U.S. has accused Indian businessman Gautam Adani of paying bribes to government officials to win solar power contracts. The case mentions an unnamed person called "Foreign Official #1," a senior official in Andhra Pradesh between May 2019 and June 2024. The identity of this official has not been revealed, but prosecutors say they received a large part of the ₹2,029 crore (around $265 million) in bribes allegedly paid by Adani’s company.
SECI Solar Project Faces Hurdles
In 2020, Adani Green Energy and another company won a big contract to supply 12 gigawatts of solar power to the government-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). However, SECI struggled to find buyers for the electricity, which risked putting the project in trouble. To solve this, Adani Group allegedly offered bribes to convince state power companies to buy the solar energy.
Alleged Role of Andhra Official
Prosecutors claim that Adani Group offered ₹1,750 crore ($228 million) to "Foreign Official #1" in Andhra Pradesh. This official then helped arrange deals with power companies in the state to buy 7 gigawatts of solar power. This was the largest solar energy agreement any Indian state had made at the time. Adani is also said to have met this official three times in 2021—on August 7, September 12, and November 20—to finalize the agreements.
Solar Deals Signed Across India
As a result of these meetings, Andhra Pradesh’s power companies signed an agreement to buy solar power from SECI. Later, other states, including Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, as well as the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, also signed similar agreements between July 2021 and February 2022.
Political Context in Andhra Pradesh
The alleged bribery occurred during the rule of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was in power after winning the 2019 elections. In 2024, Reddy’s government lost the election to Chandrababu Naidu’s alliance with the BJP and Janasena Party.
Adani Group Denies Allegations
Adani Group has denied all the allegations, calling them baseless. The company has also announced plans to take legal action to defend itself against the claims. However, the case has drawn significant attention due to the involvement of a top Andhra Pradesh official and the large sums of money allegedly exchanged.
