Bribery Bombshell Adani Group paid Rs 1,750 crore to Andhra official for solar deals : US court

A sensational bribery scandal has rocked the Adani Group, with a US court filing accusing Gautam Adani, his nephew, and six others of paying Rs 1,750 crore (approximately $228 million) to an unnamed high-ranking Andhra Pradesh government official, referred to as "Foreign Official #1".

The bribe allegedly facilitated the State’s power distribution companies in agreeing to purchase 7 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The bribery allegations are sending shockwaves across political and industrial circles, especially with Andhra Pradesh and other States under scrutiny.

Rs 2,029 crore bribery spans five States The indictment alleges that Adani Green Energy and Azure Power, both involved in a 12-GW solar project with SECI, faced hurdles as the energy's high cost deterred state governments from purchasing it.

To overcome this, the Adani Group allegedly paid $265 million (approximately Rs 2,029 crore) in bribes to officials in Andhra Pradesh (ruled by YSRCP govt), Odisha (ruled by BJD govt), Tamil Nadu (ruled by DMK govt), Chhattisgarh (ruled by Congress), and Jammu and Kashmir (ruled by Central Govt) between 2021 and 2023.

"Foreign Official #1" in Andhra Pradesh reportedly received the largest bribe, with Rs 1,750 crore. Direct meetings to seal deal The indictment claims that Gautam Adani personally met the Andhra Pradesh official on three occasions in 2021 August 7, September 12, and November 20 to finalize the arrangements.

Subsequently, Andhra Pradesh's power distribution companies signed a power sale agreement (PSA) with SECI to procure 7 GW of solar energy, the largest purchase by any State. Encrypted messages, code names To conceal the bribery trail, the conspirators allegedly used code names.

Gautam Adani was reportedly referred to as "Numero Uno" or "The Big Man". Communications were conducted through encrypted messaging platforms to avoid detection. US banks and investors, from whom the Adani Group raised billions for the solar project, were kept in the dark about the bribery scheme.

In a strong rebuttal, the Adani Group called the accusations "baseless" and vowed to pursue all legal remedies. "All possible legal recourse will be sought," the company said in a statement, emphasizing its commitment to transparency. The US prosecutors’ charges have opened a Pandora’s box, raising serious questions about corporate ethics, state complicity, and the future of renewable energy contracts in India.