'Every attack makes us stronger': Gautam Adani breaks silence on US bribery allegations

Gautam Adani

A day after Adani Group CFO Jugeshinder Singh rejected bribery allegations levelled by the United States on Gautam Adani, the company chairman asserted that this is not the first time they have faced such challenges and every attack only makes them stronger.

Gautam Adani's response comes nearly two weeks after US prosecutors charged him with helping drive a $250 million bribery scheme. "This is not the first time we have faced such challenges. What I can tell you is that every attack makes us stronger, and every obstacle becomes a stepping stone for a more resilient Adani Group," he said at the 51st Gems and Jewellery Awards in Jaipur on November 30.

"As most of you would have read, less than two weeks back, we faced a set of allegations from the US, about compliance practices at Adani Green Energy… The fact is that despite a lot of the vested reporting, no one from the Adani side has been charged with any violation of the FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) or any conspiracy to obstruct justice," the Adani Group chairman added.

"Yet, in today's world, negativity spreads faster than facts. And as we work through the legal process, I want to reconfirm our absolute commitment to world-class regulatory compliance," Gautam Adani further said.

Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry has said that the bribery allegations against the billionaire were a legal issue between private companies and the US Department of Justice and that New Delhi has not received any request on the case from Washington.

"This is a legal matter involving private firms and individuals and the U.S. Department of Justice," Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at a weekly media briefing. "There are established procedures and legal avenues in such cases which we believe would be followed."