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Created before Nov 2016
Last update: 2022-06-02 00:00:00
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Tell Adani’s bankers and investors to rule out any further funding for the entire Adani Group! |
Sector | Coal Mining , Coal Electric Power Generation, Oil and Gas Extraction |
Headquarters |
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Ownership |
listed on Bombay Stock Exchange & NSE
The Adani Group is controlled by the Adani family. They operate a number of private businesses and hold a controlling share in Adani Enterprises. The group's structure can be viewed here. |
Subsidiaries |
Adani Enterprises Ltd – India
Adani gas Ltd – India Adani Green Energy Ltd – India Adani ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd – India Adani power Ltd – India Adani Transmission Ltd – India |
Website | http://www.adani.com |
About Adani Group
Adani is an Indian multinational conglomerate, founded by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani in 1988. Its business units consist of resources (coal mining and trading), logistics (ports, railways and ships) and energy (power generation and transmission). It has coal mining interests in India, Indonesia, Australia and Bhutan and operates a series of massive coal power plants in India with a total installed capacity of 10,440 MW. In addition, Adani is planning to expand it's coal-fired installed capacity by another 8,760 MW.
Latest developments
Why this profile?
Adani has a questionnable track record of fraud and corruption allegations and human rights abuses. Its coal mines and coal power plants are responsible for severe adverse impacts on the environment and climate change. Adani is building thousands of megawatts worth of new coal power plants capacity.
Impacts
Social and human rights impacts
Clearing ancestral forested lands Billions of tons of coal lie beneath the ancestral forests in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh and Adani Group, with the help of prime minister Narendra Modi, is planning to mine the coal. The forest, known as the Hasdeo forest, is elephant habitat and the ancestral lands of the Indeginous Adivasi Gond People.
Incident at Gujarat power station Adani coal companies have claimed serious injuries and deaths in India. In 2016, 21 workers suffered horrendous burns at Adani’s coal-fired power station in Gujarat when a hot water pipe burst, seven of whom later died from their injuries.
Exploiting workforce An investigation by Fairfax Media found evidence that Adani were exploiting their Indian workforce by underpaying them, overworking them, and exposing them to lax health and safety standards. Many labourers working on a luxury housing project in Gujarat were reportedly forced to live in makeshift houses with dirt floors, and no running water or toilets. The poor sanitary conditions led to regular outbreaks of cholera from contaminated drinking water.
Impacts on tourism and local people In 2016 an Indian court found Adani Enterprises Ltd and other entities liable for failing to clean up after the unseaworthy coal ship they chartered sank off the coast of Mumbai in 2011 resulting in a massive oil spill which destroyed mangroves, polluted beaches and saw the spilling of coal into the sea. Adani Enterprises Ltd was fined the equivalent of AUD 975 000. The Judicial members recognised that both the sinking itself and the fact that it had not been cleaned up for over five years were causes of serious damage, including damage to the tourism industry and local people.
Impacts on fishery In January 2016 the Indian National Green Tribunal cancelled the environmental approval of Adani Hazira Port that it held for the development of port activities in the Hajira district, Surat. Justice Kingaonkar found Adani Hazira Port liable for illegally undertaking work without an environmental approval at Hajira, Surat. This blocked the access of 80 fishing families from the traditional village of Hajira to their traditional fishing zones. Adani Hazira Port Private Ltd was ordered to pay 25 crore (approx. AUD 4.8 million) for compensation and restoration.
Environmental and climate impacts
Expanding coal power Adani is planning to expand its coal fired capacity by a whopping 8760 MW over the next years. Five coal power plants are either being built at the moment or are in the planning phase: the 1600 MW Godda power plant, the 1320 MW Pench power plant, the 2640 MW Dahej power plant, a 1600 MW expansion of the Udupi power station and a 1600 MW expansion of the Kawai power plant. Some of these power plants will be supplied by foreign coal, like the infamous Carmichael coal mine in Queensland, Australia. Others will be supplied by domestic coal, which is one of the reasons that Adani wants to exploit the coal fields beneath the Hasdeo Arand forests.
The expansion of the Kawai power plant has been on hold since September 2014 and the project appears to be cancelled, although it's still one of the 'upcoming power plants' on Adani Power's website. The Dahej power plant project appears to be deferred of abandoned as well, but is also still displayed as one of the 'upcoming power plants'.
History of breaching environmental regulations in India Research by Environmental Justice Australia into Adani Group's track record in regards to the adherence to environmental regulations has revealed a consistent pattern of breaching Indian environmental regulations by the Group and its subsidiaries.
Coastal mismanagement In 2013 an independent committee observed even more environmental damage done to the coastal area. This demonstrated once more disregard for government regulations; protective measures for a nearby conservation area were ignored, local creeks had vanished and more than 75 hectares of mangrove forest were destroyed due to a failure to protect this area. Additionally, an airstrip was constructed without environmental approval. The committee recommended the establishment of an environmental restoration fund of AUD40 million. In September 2013 another "show cause" notice was issued by the Ministry to Adani Mundra and required the establishment of an environmental restauraton fund as well as a plan to protect the livelihoods of affected fishermen (Environmental Justice Australia).
Other impacts
Illegal construction In 2012 Gujarat courts found that Adani had illegally constructed an intake channel for its power station at Mundra on private and government land. The company was ordered to compensate the individual on whose land the illegal construction had occurred.
Illegal iron ore transportation and bribery An 2011 investigation by the Karnataka anti-corruption ombudsman (Lokayukta) uncovered a major scandal. He found that Adani Enterprises and other port operators were actively involved in large scale illegal exports of the iron ore resulting in "huge" economic losses to the Government. The investigation's report detailed how, at its port in the south western state of Karnataka the company routinely received trucks overloaded with iron ore. In doing so the company was involved in the theft of substantial quantities of iron ore. It also received illicit iron ore at its plot at Belekeri port from a number of suppliers that had no permits to supply ore to that port.
Bribes Documents seized from Adani's offices indicated that the company had been paying cash bribes to officials of the Port department, Customs, Police, State Pollution Control Board, Weights and Measurement Department, Local politicians and others. The bribes were paid to receive "undue favour for illegal exports".
Tax evasion In 2015 an investigation into Adani by the Sydney Morning Herald uncovered evidence of a very murky money trail leading to tax havens in the Cayman Islands, criminal investigations, and secret ownership.
Governance
Bank policies
Timeline
Adani Mining’s Carmichael coal mine project receives final approval
Adani Mining’s plan to build a 10 million tonnes open-pit thermal coal mine and associated infrastructure in the Galilee Basin of Queensland, Australia, has sealed the final approvals it requires to start construction. Lucas Dow, CEO Adani Mining, confirmed that the company had received advice from the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science (DES) that the Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems Management Plan (GDEMP) had been finalised and approved.
State and federal investigation launched into Adani's Carmichael water drilling
The Australian government will investigate allegations Adani has drilled illegal groundwater bores at its Carmichael mine site. Environment group Coast and Country has said it obtained aerial footage showing dewatering bores that were sunk without approval.
Adani to begin construction of Carmichael coal mine in October
Indian mining giant Adani has announced it will break ground on the Carmichael coal mine in October. The facility’s first coal is expected in March 2020.
Adani gives green light to Carmichael coal mine project
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has approved the Carmichael coal mine and rail project. Bank financing for the project is still lacking and the company is yet to secure its bid for a AUD 900 million infrastructure loan from the Australian federal government. The loan would build a railway to Queensland’s Galilee Basin, which would open up the region to the wider mining industry. Adani’s top executive in Australia, Jeyakumar Janakaraj, voiced his displeasure with “activists who sit in creature comfort and criticise us”.
Environmental Justice Australia reveals Adani's disastrous track record
A detailed legal research brief by Environmental Justice Australia has revealed Adani’s long history of illegal dealings, bribery, environmental and social devastation, as well as a collection of allegations of corruption, fraud and money laundering at the company. The Adani Brief demonstrates that Australian governments and potential financiers are exposing themselves to financial and reputational risks by backing the Carmichael project.
Indian agencies investigate Adani
Adani Enterprises is one of several coal companies under investigation by India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for inflating the cost of imported coal. For a decade, the DRI has been investigating Adani entities that traded in diamonds and gold jewellery. Adani Enterprises was named in a 2011 report by Karnataka’s state ombudsman, after documents seized by police allegedly “indicate that money has been regularly paid to port authorities, customs authorities, [the] police department, mines and geology and even to MLAs/MPs.” Adani has rejected the allegations.
Green panel defers nod to Adani Power 1,600 megawatt project in Jharkhand
An environment ministry panel has deferred green clearance to Adani Power 's 1,600 megawatt thermal project in Jharkhand, India and has sought more information from the company. Adani Power (Jharkhand) Ltd, a subsidiary of Adani Power Ltd, is planning to set up 2x800 megawatt Paraspani thermal power project in Godda district of Jharkhand (source: www.moneycontrol.com).
Adani freezes investment in Carmichael mine until world coal price recovers
According to The Guardian: Adani has frozen its investment in Australia's largest proposed coalmine until world coal prices show a clear recovery, its executives have indicated in stock analyst briefings in India. The briefings even gave rise to speculation that Adani Enterprises, which has previously flagged spending USD4.1 billion on the Carmichael mine in north Queensland, might abandon its plans for the mine altogether amid a huge move by the company into solar energy.
Adani and Commonwealth Bank part ways, casting further doubt on Carmichael coal project
According to The Sydney Morning Herald: The Commonwealth Bank's role as adviser to Australia's biggest coal project, Adani Mining's proposed Carmichael Mine in Queensland, has ended, dealing a heavy blow to its prospects and a significant victory for environmental groups.
Financiers
Between 2014 and 2017 42 financial institutions financed a total of USD 4.8 billion in loans and provided underwriting services totalling USD 2.3 billion to Adani. These are specified below.
Between 2016 and 2018 28 financial institutions financed a total of USD 2.1 billion in loans and provided underwriting services totalling USD 1.05 billion to Adani. These are specified below.
In July 2019 Adani Ports issued USD 650 million in bonds. Banks involved were Citi, Barclays, DBS Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Mitsubishi Financial Group (MUFG) and Standard Chartered Bank. See below for more details.
In November 2019 Adani Transmission issued USD 500 million in bonds. Banks involved were Barclays, DBS Bank, Emirates NBD, Mitsubishi Financial Group (MUFG), Nomura, SBI Holdings, Société Générale, Standard Chartered Bank and Mizuho Securities. See below for more details.
In May 2022 Standard Chartered and Barclays financed Adani Enterprises, the Adani Group subsidiary pursuing several new thermal coal mining projects. The USD 250 million debt facility has an option to raise an additional USD 200 million. The loan was made to Adani Airport Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises (Counterview). See below for more details.
In August 2015 it was reported that Commonwealth Bank's role as adviser to Adani's proposed Carmichael coal mine had ended, with sources citing the environmental controversy surrounding Carmichael and the project's financial risk in the face of tumbling coal prices.
In May 2019 it was reported that French investment bank Rothschild & Co. was "no longer advising Adani in relation to the sale of an ownership stake in the Abbot Point coal export port".