Gautam Adani inspires students on Teachers Day, shares his entrepreneurial journey
Sep 05, 2024
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 5 : Billionare Gautam Adani on Thursday shared his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting resilience, vision, and the power of dreaming big with students at Jai Hind College Mumbai on the occasion of Teachers Day.
Adani group Chairman, Gautam Adani recounted his story of coming to Mumbai at the age of 16, driven by a desire to test his courage and make a life for himself in the city, highlighting the importance of dreaming big, acting with purpose, and overcoming mental barriers
Adani said people still asked me "Why did you move to Mumbai? Why did you not complete your education?... The answer - lies in the heart of every young dreamer who sees boundaries not as barriers but as challenges that test his courage. I was driven by a need to see if I had the courage to make a life for myself in the most happening city of our country."
He said Mumbai was a training ground for him. The events between 1985 and 1991 were moments of economic change for India. In 1991, when liberalisation was announced, Adani established a global trading house dealing in polymers, metals, textiles, and agri-products. Within two years, it became the largest global trading house in the country.
In 1994, Adani Exports now Adani Enterprises, IPO was launched and it was a great success that marks the second big break in his entrepreneurial journey.
But limitations of this business prompted him to build a stable and sustainable enterprise and then came his biggest project, Mundra Port, which became his "karmabhoomi" (workplace), transformed into India's largest port, industrial Special Economic Zone, container terminals, thermal power plant, solar manufacturing facility, copper plant, and edible oil refinery.
Adani said "Mundra became my karmabhoomi and made my vision a reality a powerful testimony to the fact what you dream, you create, and what you think, you become."
Adani said even with all this, Mundra is only 10 per cent of what it will eventually become. He also spoke about his biggest renewable energy project, Khvada, Adani's largest renewable energy project, generating over 3,000 MW of clean energy, aims to reach 30 GW in the next five years.
"Khavda is not just another project it is a vision. Already generating more than 3,000 MW of clean energy--and on track to reach 30 GW in the next five years there is no parallel to Khavda today."
About Asia's largest slum redevelopment project, Dharavi, Adani said the project is not only about urban renewal but also restoring the dignity of over 1 million people.
"For me, Dharavi is not just about urban renewal. It is about restoring dignity to over one million residents of our country. It is about the possibilities when you dare to dream big and act with purpose." Adani said.
In his speech, he also referred to Hindenburg allegations and said Supreme Court vindicated their stand and he learnt the most profound lesson from this trial
"Breaking real boundaries is not about overcoming external challenges. It is about shattering the mental barriers. When the world says you cannot rise that's when the real test of resilience begins."
Adani said "resilience is not about avoiding the falls. It is about rising stronger after every fall. It's about pushing through the impossible and emerging stronger on the other side."
