MS Shanker
When the Opposition, particularly the Congress party, rages against the Adani Group, it’s not because it fears corruption—it fears competition. For decades, India’s industrial landscape was shaped to benefit a few favoured families and foreign lobbies, while real self-reliance remained a slogan, not strategy. The rise of a first-generation entrepreneur like Gautam Adani—who built one of the world’s largest infrastructure and logistics empires without dynastic crutches—threatens that order.
This isn’t just about business. It’s about power. It’s about control. And it’s about who gets to define India’s future.
The Congress and its allies, often backed by foreign-funded think tanks, left-liberal academics, and Soros-style disruptors, have launched wave after wave of allegations against Adani—from market manipulation to cronyism. None have stuck. No convictions. No proof of fraud. Just a lot of noise, timed suspiciously close to elections.
One of their chief campaigners, Rahul Gandhi, has made attacking Adani a cornerstone of his political revival efforts. Ironically, he chooses to peddle these allegations not in Indian courts or regulatory institutions, but on foreign soil—be it in the UK or the US—where his statements routinely undermine India’s image and investor confidence.
While Rahul talks, Adani builds.
The latest proof? The Adani Group’s massive leap into defence manufacturing, capped by a 250-acre integrated ammunition plant set to open in Kanpur. This isn’t just another factory. This is South Asia’s largest integrated small arms ammunition facility, backed by ₹1,500 crore in initial investment.
The plant will initially produce 7.62-mm and 5.56-mm bullets—standard rounds for assault rifles and carbines—critical not just for the Indian armed forces, but also in high demand globally amid the Ukraine war, Middle East conflicts, and rising geopolitical tensions.
Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence, put it plainly: “We are talking about demands for hundreds of millions of rounds coming from different parts of the world.” India, through Adani, now has the chance to become a serious player in the global arms supply chain—not as a client, but as a competitor.
And this isn’t Adani’s first defence success. The Group has already delivered advanced drones to the Indian Navy, and is working closely with the Indian government to build out domestic military capability across domains—land, air, and sea.
For decades, India’s defence procurement policy was broken, plagued by red tape, middlemen, and an over-dependence on foreign imports. Congress-led governments did little to change this, despite repeated national security failures—from Kargil to the 26/11 attacks. Indigenous manufacturing was never prioritised.
Today, under the Modi government’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” push, Indian private players like Adani are being encouraged to step into critical defence sectors. The same Opposition that ignored local manufacturers for decades now cries foul when Indian companies finally gain prominence.
Curiously, many of the same critics who cast doubt on Adani’s defence ambitions are the ones who advocate caution in confronting China. They continue to romanticize Chinese military prowess, ignoring how Indian technology—air defence systems, border surveillance drones, and surgical strike capabilities—has advanced by leaps in recent years.
Some even downplay India’s achievements in neutralizing terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and beyond, such as strikes on Pakistan’s Nur Khan Airbase and terror factories deep in Pakistan. Their commentary, often echoed by foreign media, serves only to embolden India’s adversaries.
So, what are we debating here? Adani is building India’s defence muscle, creating jobs, boosting exports, and investing in national capacity. The Opposition is peddling conspiracy theories, discrediting Indian firms abroad, and defending a failed economic model rooted in entitlement and inertia.
The time has come to choose: national interest or political vendetta?
India needs entrepreneurs who act—not dynasts who obstruct. Gautam Adani’s rise is not a threat to India. It’s a threat to those who profited from keeping India weak.
And that’s precisely why they want him stopped.
