Priti Adani pledges $100 billion investment in energy transition, infra; stresses role of ancient wisdom in development

Priti Adani, Chairperson of the Adani Foundation, on Monday said the Adani Group has pledged over $100 billion towards energy transition and infrastructure, underscoring the need to align economic development with social responsibility and sustainability.

Speaking at The World Symposium in Varanasi on November 2, she said the group’s investments in nation-building must be guided by the principle of Dharma, which places duty and responsibility towards society and the planet at the centre of progress.

She cited the development of the world's largest renewable energy park at Khavda in Gujarat as an example of the group's efforts towards sustainable development.

Addressing the theme 'Ancient Wisdom for Modern Challenges', Adani said India's civilisational knowledge could offer solutions to contemporary challenges such as inequality, conflict and environmental degradation. "Knowledge gives us the power to change the world. Wisdom assures us that we change it for the better," she said.

She also highlighted the Adani Group's commitment of more than $10 million to the Bharat Knowledge Graph, an initiative aimed at making India's civilisational knowledge accessible to interdisciplinary research and supporting 14 doctoral scholars.

Adani, who has spent three decades working in community development through the Adani Foundation, said development must ultimately be measured by its impact on people's lives.

Established in 1996, the foundation works across more than 7,000 villages in 22 states, impacting over 13 million people annually, she said. Emphasising the importance of community empowerment, she described seva as a process of listening to people and enabling them to shape their own futures.

She also recalled that when her husband, Gautam Adani, turned 60, the family pledged over $6 billion towards welfare initiatives, guided by the belief that "Seva Hi Sadhna Hai".

"The idea is not limited to digitising texts and scriptures. Our traditions stay alive when they are studied, questioned, interpreted and brought into conversations at educational institutions," she said.

Drawing parallels between Indian philosophy and other traditions, including Buddhism, Aristotelian thought and Confucian philosophy, Adani said the shared message was that growing capabilities must be accompanied by greater responsibility.

"Legacy is not merely what we leave for the next generation. It is what we leave within the next generation. Empathy. Compassion. Responsibility. Humility. And the instinct to serve," she added.