Committed to compliances, every attack makes us stronger: Gautam Adani
Jaipur (PTI): Coming out in public for the first time after recent allegations and his indictment in the US, Adani group chairman Gautam Adani on Saturday said his conglomerate was committed to compliances and "every attack makes us stronger".
"Less than two week back, we faced a set of allegations from the US about compliance practices. This is not the first time we have faced such challenges. What I can tell you is that every attack makes us stronger," he said addressing the 51st Gems and Jewellery Award here.
On November 20, 2024, the United States Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an indictment and a civil complaint in the New York district court against Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain, key functionaries of Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL).
The charges relate to allegations of securities fraud, wire fraud and violation of the SEC guidelines that led to materially false and misleading statements in the bond offering documents of AGEL with respect to anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies.
Adani Group had issued a statement denying all allegations as baseless, and said it would seek legal recourse to defend itself.
Speaking at Saturday's event, Adani said that despite a lot of vested reporting, no one from Adani's side has been charged with any violation of the FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) of the US or any conspiracy to obstruct justice.
"The fact is that despite a lot of the vested reporting, no one from the Adani side has been charged with any violation of the FCPA or any conspiracy to obstruct justice. Yet, in today's world, negativity spreads faster than facts," he said, adding that the group was committed to regulatory compliances.
"As we work through the legal process, I want to re-confirm our absolute commitment to world class regulatory compliance," he added.
Adani Green Energy Ltd, the renewable energy arm of the port-to-energy conglomerate, on November 21 scrapped a USD 600-million bond issue.
The 20-year green bond was over-subscribed three times, hours before the US prosecutors charged Gautam Adani and associates with participating in a scheme to pay over USD 250 million bribe to Indian officials in exchange for favourable terms for solar power contracts.
Following the indictment, Adani group companies' stocks also tanked in the Mumbai trade. Ten listed firms of the group lost about USD 26 billion (Rs 2.19 lakh crore) in market value -- more than double of what the conglomerate had lost when US short-seller Hindenburg brought out a damning report in January 2023.
However, since Wednesday, stocks of all the group firms have recovered. Shares of nine of the 11 listed Adani Group firms ended higher on Friday, with Adani Green Energy surging almost 22 per cent and Adani Energy climbing nearly 16 per cent.
"Over the years, I have come to accept that the roadblocks we face are the price of pioneering. The bolder your dreams, the more the world will scrutinise you. But it is precisely in that scrutiny that you must find the courage to rise, to challenge the status quo, and to build a path where none exists," he said.
Adani said that the group had successes but the challenges have been bigger.
"However, these challenges have not broken us. Instead, they have defined us. They have made us tougher and give us the unshakeable belief that after every fall, we will rise again, stronger and more resilient than before," he said.
Last year, the conglomerate had scrapped a Rs 20,000 crore Follow-on Public Offer (FPO) at its flagship firm Adani Enterprises Ltd after US short-seller Hindenburg Research's report in January, which alleged the group of stock manipulation and accounting fraud.
Adani had rejected all allegations and threatened to sue Hindenburg for its "reckless" attempt to sabotage the mega share sale at Adani Enterprises.
But the allegation led to a free-fall of the group firms' stocks, which at the lowest point saw USD 150 billion in market value being eroded.
Talking about the Hindernburg report, he said, "This was not a typical financial strike, it was a double hit, targeting our financial stability and pulling us into a political controversy. All of this was further amplified by certain media with vested interests. But even in the face of such adversity, our commitment to our principles remained strong."
Adani said that after successfully raising Rs 20,000 crore from India's largest-ever FPO, the company made the extraordinary decision to return the proceeds.
"We then further demonstrated our resilience by raising capital from several international sources and proactively reducing our debt-to-EBITDA ratio to below 2.5 times, an unmatched metric in the global infrastructure space," he said.
"Our all-time record financial results in the same year showcased our commitment to operational excellence. Not a single Indian or foreign credit rating agency downgraded us. Finally, the Supreme Court of India's affirmation of our actions validated our approach," he said.
He further said that in 2010, when the group was investing in a coal mine in Australia, its objective was to make India energy secure and replace every two tonnes of poor-quality Indian coal with one tonne of high-quality coal from Australia.
However, he said, the resistance from NGOs was huge and lasted almost a decade.
"It was so intense that we ended up funding the entire project of 10 billion dollars with our own equity. While we now have a world class operating mine in Australia and it could be seen as a great sign of our resilience," he said.
Adani also shared his journey of becoming an entrepreneur and highlighted its dominance in various sectors.
He also advised businessmen to embrace technology and sustainability for progress, empower and uplift the skilled workforce and nurture the younger generation and equip them to balance tradition with transformation, culture with innovation and legacy with sustainability.
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
