Modi indicates no talks with Trump on Adani bribery row, says 'leaders don't discuss personal cases'

US President Donald Trump with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated that he did not discuss the bribery charges pressed by the US authorities against billionaire and Adani group chairman Gautam Adani with US President Donald Trump during a bilateral meeting on Thursday at the White House.

Declining to directly comment on the bribery allegations, PM Modi said leaders don't sit and talk about such "personal cases".

"India is a democracy, and our culture follows 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'—we see the world as one family. I consider every Indian as my own. Moreover, leaders of two nations do not meet to discuss such personal matters," Modi said during his interaction with the media.

#WATCH | In response to a query about industrialist Gautam Adani, PM Modi says: "India is a democracy, and our culture follows 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'we see the world as one family. I consider every Indian as my own. Moreover, leaders of two nations do not meet to discuss such pic.twitter.com/0T0MFX0QMT
Moneycontrol (@moneycontrolcom) February 14, 2025

Trump did not talk about the case during the meeting with the press.

US prosecutors have charged Adani, Asia’s second-richest man, of allegedly helping arrange bribes of more than $250 million to officials in India and defraud US investors. In a five-count indictment unsealed on November 20, prosecutors alleged that Adani was part of a scheme to “corruptly offer, authorize, promise to pay and to pay bribes” of hundreds of millions of dollars to government officials in India. The Adani Group has denied the allegations.

To get Adani to appear in an American courtroom, the US would likely have to pursue extradition.

With Bloomberg inputs