New Delhi, 29 March 2024
Mukesh Ambani, the world’s richest man, has made a significant investment in the Adani Group, which is led by Gautam Adani, the country’s second wealthiest man. Gautam Adani attended the pre-wedding ceremony of Mukesh Ambani’s younger son, Anant, in Jamnagar earlier this month.
Reliance Industries recently made a calculated strategic move by purchasing a sizeable 26% share in a Madhya Pradesh-based power facility that is owned by the Adani Group. At a face value of Rs 10 per share, Reliance is expected to purchase 5 crore equity shares of Mahan Energen Ltd, an Adani Power Ltd subsidiary, per official stock market statements by both businesses. In addition, Reliance has signed a contract to use 500 MW of the plant’s power for internal use, suggesting that the two massive corporations are working together more closely.
Ambani’s Reliance, which operates in oil and gas, retail, and telecommunications, and Adani’s focus on infrastructure sectors such as coal, mining, sea ports, and airports have traditionally kept the two business tycoons apart, with the exception of the clean energy sector, where both have pledged substantial investments. Adani intends to be the world’s biggest renewable energy producer by 2030, while Reliance is building four gigafactories in Jamnagar, Gujarat, focused on fuel cells, batteries, solar panels, and green hydrogen generation.
Adani is also building three gigafactories to produce hydrogen electrolysers, wind turbines, and solar panels. However, possible conflicts exist, such as when Adani Group bid on spectrum for fifth-generation (5G) data and phone services. Adani’s acquisition of 400 MHz of spectrum in the 26 GHz band contradicts Ambani’s strategy, as this band is not designated for usage by public networks.