Adressing students at the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, the Adani Group Chairman said India will rise economically in the coming years.
“What I can state with confidence that your most productive years will coincide with India’s most powerful years. Your career and our country will rise together, you will not be looking at a USD 5 or 10 trillion economy, you will be looking at an India that would be a USD 25 trillion powerhouse by 2050,” he said.
Adani shared candid reflections on his journey, taking the audience through the challenges, risks, and bold decisions that shaped his business empire.
Recounting the early days of the Mundra Port, Adani said, “When I first announced my intention to build a port, most people thought that I had lost my mind…When I presented the idea, some of the bankers laughed and how do you expect us to finance a land that is underwater?… Mudra had no access, no industry, no precedent…Maps will only take you where someone has already been, but to build something truly new, you need a compass that points to the possibilities.”
Mundra Port in Gujarat, the largest private port, set a new benchmark by becoming the first Indian port to handle over 200 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo. The feat was achieved in 2024-25.
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) recorded its highest-ever cargo handling in March 2025, processing 41.5 million tonnes and registering an annual growth of 9 per cent, the company said in a statement in April.
He also spoke about Dharavi redevelopment, one of the most ambitious urban renewal projects in India.
“Dharavi is Asia’s largest slum…Every time I fly to Mumbai, the slums below disturb my conscience, as no nation can truly rise when so many of its people live without dignity. Many people told me that Dharavi is too political, risky, and unmanageable, and that is precisely why I said we must do it. Redeveloping Dharavi is not just about laying bricks of yet another slum redevelopment program; it is about rebuilding dignity for those one million people who helped build Mumbai, but never benefited from it,” Adani said
The proposed master plan is an attempt to build on the existing characteristics of Dharavi and create a world-class district for Dharavikars and reimagine a new heart for Mumbai.
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) is a unique opportunity to transform the lives and ‘live-work’ conditions of Dharavikars aiming for a higher quality of life with great infrastructure and public amenities.
Encouraging students to embrace uncertainty and challenge the status quo, Adani emphasised, “I have learnt and still continue to learn that the real world is made up of moments that have no precedence. When these unprecedented moments come, when the business models break down and when the road ahead is unmarked, I have realised that success is defined by being able to make your own story…History is not made by how well we execute existing models, it is made by our courage and leadership to build new pathways.” (ANI)
