Energy, AI to be twin foundations of national power: Gautam Adani
Addressing the CII Annual Business Summit 2026, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani on Monday declared that the era of a “flat world” has ended, replaced by a “fractured” global geometry where energy security and digital sovereignty have become the twin foundations of national power.
Speaking to a distinguished gathering of industry leaders, Adani noted that the global assumptions of the last three decades — unfettered capital movement and borderless technology — have been dismantled. “The world that is emerging is not flat. It is fractured,” he said, adding that supply chains, semiconductors, and data are now being redesigned around national interests.
Adani emphasised that 21st-century independence relies on owning both the energy that powers the economy and the intelligence that guides the mind. Comparing the strategic paths of the US and China, he noted that while America achieved energy abundance through the shale revolution and now seeks computing dominance, China built energy scale to pursue AI sovereignty.
“A nation that does not build capability in peace is forced to pay for its exposure in a crisis,” he warned, citing the 1973 oil embargo as a historical lesson in the dangers of energy dependence.
The Chairman highlighted India’s unique growth trajectory, stating that the nation is no longer growing through incremental additions but through “compounding acceleration.” With India’s installed power capacity crossing 500 GW as of March 2026, he projected a rise to 2,000 GW by 2047 to keep pace with a “living, rising, demanding India.”
Rejecting Western fears that Artificial Intelligence will eliminate jobs, Adani asserted that AI would instead act as a force multiplier for productivity. He likened the potential of AI to the success of UPI, which moved “trust into the hands of ordinary Indians” and birthed a new generation of home-grown enterprises.
Outlining his Group’s role in building India’s “AI spine,” Adani announced massive investment commitments. This includes a $100 billion investment in energy transition, headlined by the 30 GW renewable energy project at Khavda, Gujarat.
Furthermore, he announced another $100 billion commitment to the data centre business. “India must not rent the infrastructure of its intelligence future. India must build it, power it, and own it on its own soil,” he said, mentioning partnerships with Google and Microsoft to develop gigawatt-scale campuses.
Concluding his address, Adani called for a shift from the old IT model of “serving intelligence” to one of “owning it,” urging the nation to build the physical foundations — power, compute, and talent — necessary for a truly sovereign future.
