Democracy Dies in Darkness

U.S. case against Adani targets a close ally of Indian prime minister

Adani is seen as an arm of Indian domestic and foreign policy — and a proxy for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

5 min

Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, at his company's headquarters in Ahmedabad, India, in May. (Sumit Dayal/Bloomberg News/Getty Images)

By Gerry Shih

Karishma Mehrotra

and

Anant Gupta

November 21, 2024 at 11:32 a.m. EST

NEW DELHI — When U.S. prosecutors Wednesday unveiled fraud and bribery allegations against Gautam Adani, they charged not just one of India’s top business figures but a man seen as an arm of Indian domestic and foreign policy — and a proxy for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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The billionaire has accompanied Modi on trips abroad and struck infrastructure deals with India’s geopolitical partners, from Sri Lanka to Israel. At home, he has followed Modi’s energy and manufacturing policies, helped him broker political alliances and encouraged patriotic Indians to view his business success as a reflection of India’s rise.

By Gerry Shih

Gerry Shih is the India Bureau Chief for the Washington Post, covering India and neighboring countries. @gerryshih

By Karishma Mehrotra

Karishma Mehrotra is the South Asia correspondent for The Washington Post. She was previously a Fulbright fellow and has written or worked for Radiolab, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, the Indian Express, Scroll.in, and Bloomberg Businessweek. karishma__m__

By Anant Gupta

Anant Gupta is a researcher with the India bureau of the Washington Post. He is based in New Delhi. @AnantGuptaAG

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