HYDERABAD: The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) unveiled a bribery scheme allegedly involving Gautam Adani and other executives from the Adani Group, accusing them of offering $250 million (Rs 2,029 crore) in bribes to Indian govt officials.
The bribes reportedly facilitated solar energy contracts under the Manufacturing Linked Project (MLP), with Andhra Pradesh emerging as a key focus of the investigation. According to the indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of New York, the bribes were allegedly aimed at securing Power Sale Agreements (PSAs) for state electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), particularly in Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh government had signed an agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India then and not directly with Adani group.
Foreign Official #1, identified as a high-ranking official in Andhra Pradesh from May 2019 to June 2024, is alleged to have been offered approximately Rs 1,750 crore ($228 million) in promised payments. Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir are also named in the US indictment.
The indictment details multiple meetings where Gautam Adani personally interacted with Foreign Official #1 in Andhra Pradesh to advance the agreements.
These meetings occurred on August 7, September 12, and November 20 in 2021. Following these interactions, Andhra Pradesh DISCOMs entered into a PSA with SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India) on December 1, 2021, agreeing to purchase 2.3 gigawatts of solar power—the largest amount procured by any Indian state.
Subsequently, SECI executed corresponding Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with subsidiaries of the Adani Group and a US-based issuer, committing to procure solar energy for Andhra Pradesh and other states. The scheme, prosecutors allege, generated significant profits for Adani-linked entities while misleading US investors through fraudulent claims of compliance and anti-corruption measures.
The DOJ indictment alleges that bribes were promised to secure these agreements, with Andhra Pradesh signing some of the largest PSAs under the Manufacturing Linked Project. Discussions and plans were reportedly documented through electronic messaging and internal presentations by Adani executives, detailing bribe amounts and methods to conceal the payments.
The allegations have sparked significant political and financial repercussions.
The Adani Group, already facing global scrutiny, now confronts additional pressure regarding the transparency of its renewable energy ventures. US Authorities’ Stance Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, stated: “The defendants orchestrated an elaborate scheme to bribe Indian govt officials to secure contracts worth billions of dollars and lied to investors and banks. This office is committed to rooting out corruption in the international marketplace.” Lisa H. Miller, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, added: “These offenses were allegedly committed to finance massive state energy contracts through corruption and fraud at the expense of US investors.”
It is important to clarify the nature of the agreements referenced in the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) allegations involving the Adani Group and state electricity distribution companies.
The Andhra Pradesh government, along with other states such as Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh, did not directly enter into any Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Adani’s companies. Instead, these states entered into Power Sale Agreements (PSAs) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) as part of the Manufacturing Linked Project.
Under this arrangement, SECI procured solar power from Adani’s subsidiaries and other entities through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and then sold this power to state electricity distribution companies, including those in Andhra Pradesh.
The allegations in the DOJ indictment state that bribes were promised, (it said offered didn't say paid), to facilitate these agreements, allegedly benefiting Adani’s companies by ensuring SECI’s execution of PPAs for large-scale solar energy projects. Andhra Pradesh was one of several states involved in agreements with SECI under this framework.
This clarification underscores that the alleged bribery pertains to SECI’s procurement process with Adani’s entities and not directly to the state-level agreements. The allegations suggest that the bribery scheme was designed to benefit Adani’s companies by influencing SECI’s contracting decisions.

In a statement by the spokesperson said that the allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied.
As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, "the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty." All possible legal recourse will be sought.
The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws.