Rama Krishna Sangem
The Adani Group is reportedly planning to revive its investment plans in the United States following policy changes under President Donald Trump, according to Financial Times. The ports-to-energy conglomerate, which had initially pledged $10 billion to various US infrastructure projects, had put those plans on hold after the US Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted founder Gautam Adani and seven other associates in an alleged bribery case.
However, recent developments, including the suspension of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement in the US, may have renewed optimism within the group. According to the report, Adani Group has reactivated potential plans to fund projects in US sectors such as nuclear power and utilities as well as an east coast port.
Biden administration troubled Adani
In November 2024, Adani Group’s investments in the US hit a roadblock when Gautam Adani, along with seven others, was indicted on allegations of involvement in a $265 million bribery scheme. The indictment alleged that between 2020 and 2024, Adani and his co-defendants orchestrated a scheme involving the payment of $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure solar energy contracts expected to generate more than $2 billion in profits.
The US authorities accused Adani and his associates of misleading American investors and financial institutions by failing to disclose these practices while raising capital.
Among those named in the indictment are Sagar Adani, Gautam Adani’s nephew, and Vneet S Jaain, CEO of Adani Green Energy. The charges include conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, as well as substantive securities fraud. In addition to the DOJ’s criminal case, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a parallel civil lawsuit against Adani and his associates, further accusing them of securities law violations. Recently, the SEC asked Indian authorities for help in its investigation of Adani Group over alleged securities fraud and the $265-million bribery scheme.
In response to the indictment, Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) clarified that Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani, and Vneet Jaain were not charged with violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Instead, they faced charges related to alleged securities fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and securities fraud. AGEL emphasised that the counts did not pertain to any FCPA violations.
All the problems that hit India during Biden administration appeared to be a plan or plot of the American deep-state led by Democrats. Now that Trump led Republican administration is out of undo all that., India led by PM Narendra Modi can breathe easy. Of course, general problems like tariffs of Trump will trouble India like all other countries. These problems will be sorted out by a Bilateral Trade Agreement India is supposed to sign with the US by December 2025.
