US Ambassador Eric Garcetti Praises Adani Project

India's Adani Group recently won accolades from US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, who visited Adani group's Khavda renewable energy project - the largest in the world. Later, Garcetti also visited Adani Group's Gujarat based headquarters and addressed a mass gathering of the group's employees at an auditorium in the vicinity. This is the first visit from a high profile US administration official to Adani Group headquarters nearly 18 months after the US based short sellers Hindenburg created sensation with its short selling report against Adani group.

"Inspired by my visit to the Khavda Renewal Energy Facility in Gujarat, where I learned about @AdaniGreen's innovative projects advancing India's zero-emissions goals. Sustainable energy is a cornerstone of environmental stewardship, and our bilateral partnership is key to shaping the solutions for a cleaner and greener future for the region and the world," Garcetti said in a post on X after visiting Khavda on July 16. He also posted pictures of the visit.

Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani replied to Garcetti on 'X' by posting a picture with him and thanking him for the visit. "Grateful to @USAmbIndia for his visit to Adani's 30 GW Renewable Energy site at Khavda and Mundra Port. Invaluable insights on geopolitics, energy transition and India-U.S. relations in an open and candid Q&A with Adanians. Amazing to see his adoption of Indian culture, from kadak chai to celebrating holi, to playing cricket to speaking in Hindi and eating chole bhature every day!"

Adani Green Energy is developing the world's largest renewable energy project of 30,000 MW on barren land at Khavda in Kutch, Gujarat. Built across 538 square kilometers, it is five times the size of Paris and almost as large as Mumbai city. Adani Greens has operationalised 2,000 MW cumulative solar capacity or 6 percent of the planned 30,000 MW, within 12 months of commencing work and the entire project is to be completed by 2030.

The visit is being seen as a sign by many as confidence that the US government has in India's largest infrastructure conglomerate.

Adani Group is one of India's largest strategic infrastructure developers in the field of ports, roadways, airports etc and competes directly with China's extensive 'String of Pearls' and 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) with ports in foreign countries. Adani Group acquired Haifa port in Israel by outbidding Chinese companies. Hindenburg published its sensational report on Adani Group just when it made the Haifa acquisition.

India's senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani has alleged that a businessman with Chinese links commissioned the Hindenburg report. He claims Chinese spy Anla Cheng and her husband Mark Kingdon hired Hindenburg to produce the report on Adani. Cheng is the founder and CEO of The China Project (formerly SupChina), an independent digital news, business, events, and consulting marketplace platform. Before this, Cheng ran a Family Office of the Asian Hedge Fund of Funds, Centenium Capital. The couple used Uday Kotak-owned Kotak Mahindra Investments Limited (KMIL) to set up a trading account for short-selling Adani shares, according to a SEBI notice.

Garcetti also emphasised the significance of the US-India partnership and India's growing importance in the geopolitical landscape.