DATA CENTER TO DEFENCE: ADANI GROUP ANNOUNCES PROJECTS ACROSS STATES TO BOOST GROWTH, CREATE JOBS

INVESTMENTS WERE ANNOUNCED IN THE FIRST MONTH OF THIS YEAR

The year started with a series of major announcements related to investments in long-term projects that will not only boost growth but also help create employment opportunities across India. At the recently concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Maharashtra and Telangana pledged to bring in investments to foster sustainable development. The projects include data centers, cement plants and products for the defence forces. Both states signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Adani Group for these projects. At the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 in Gandhinagar, it was announced that over the next five years, the Adani Group will invest more than Rs 2 lakh crore in Gujarat. The record investment will help create over 1,00,000 direct and indirect jobs. In his address, Adani Group Chairman Mr. Gautam Adani said in the previous edition of the summit, an investment of over Rs 55,000 crore by 2025 had been announced. The Group had surpassed Rs 50,000 crore investment across various sectors and exceeded the target of 25,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Group is expanding green supply chains, including solar panels, green ammonia, hydrogen electrolysers and wind turbines while creating an integrated, renewable energy ecosystem. It is setting up the world’s largest green energy plant in Khavda, spread over 725 sq km and having a capacity of 30 GW. In Tamil Nadu, the Adani Group will invest more than Rs 42,700 crore. It signed MoUs at the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet, which was also held in January, in the presence of Chief Minister Mr. M.K. Stalin, industries minister Mr. T.R.B. Rajaa, and MD of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) Mr. Karan Adani. Adani Green Energy will invest Rs 24,500 crore in three pump storage projects (PSPs) over the next five to seven years. Adani Connex will invest Rs 13,200 crore in a hyperscale data center in the next seven years. Ambuja Cements will invest Rs 3,500 crore in three cement grinding units while Adani Total Gas will invest

Rs 1,568 crore over eight years. The Adani Group has a strong presence in Tamil Nadu across sectors like ports, power, edible oil, city gas distribution, data centres, green energy, and cement manufacturing. APSEZ operates the Kattupalli and Ennore ports, and the Group has invested Rs 3,733 crore in Tiruvallur district. The cumulative investment in Kattupalli and Ennore is likely to exceed Rs 20,000 crore and they will provide direct and indirect employment to around 10,000 people. Expansion plans for Kattupalli port are in the pipeline. Adani Green Energy plans to invest in PSPs: hydroelectric energy storage systems that use the force of gravity to generate electricity. The clean energy project will create over 4,400 jobs across the state, with the company investing around Rs 25,000 crore. The city gas distribution network covers Cuddalore and Tiruppur through Adani Total Gas. The network serves over 5,000 homes with piped gas and has over 100 km of pipelines on an investment of Rs 180 crore. The company plans to scale up its investment nine-fold to expand offerings in city gas distribution, liquefied natural gas and electric vehicles. The initiatives will create over 2,000 jobs. One of the world’s largest single-location solar power installations, with a generation capacity of 648 MW, is in Tamil Nadu. The Kamuthi Solar Power Project was commissioned in 2016 on an investment of over Rs 4,500 crore. The project, spread over 2,500 acres, was completed within a record eight months. It is connected to a 400 kV substation of Tamil Nadu TRANSCO, powering 2,65,000 homes with clean, affordable and sustainable energy. Ambuja and ACC have invested Rs 550 crore to build an annual capacity of 1 million tonnes. These would be ramped up to 14 million metric tonnes. An amount of Rs 3,500 crore would be invested to set up three plants – in Madukkarai (2 million tonnes capacity) and in Kattupalli and Tuticorin (6 million tonnes each). The plants will create over 5,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities. The Adani Group operates Chennai’s most advanced data centre. With 33 MW capacity, the Adani-EdgeConnex data centre is a network neutral facility powered by renewable energy. It acts as a gateway to a global network of data centres, along with access to other data markets in India. Its capacity will be enhanced to 200 MW on an investment of Rs 13,200 crore, which will be one of India’s largest single-location investments in digital infrastructure. At the World Economic Forum, an MoU was signed in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Mr Eknath Shinde and Mr Gautam Adani to set up 1 GW hyperscale data center infrastructure on an investment of Rs 50,000 crore over the next 10 years. The data center infrastructure will be set up in key locations like Mumbai or Navi Mumbai and Pune and will be powered by renewable energy, which will enhance the green energy infrastructure in Maharashtra. The project will provide direct and indirect employment to 20,000 people. The Adani Group also intends to make deemed distribution investments to power the planned 1 GW hyperscale data center infrastructure. Telangana also signed four MoUs for investment of over Rs 12,400 crore at the World Economic Forum in the presence of Chief Minister Mr Revanth Reddy and Mr Gautam Adani. Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) will invest over Rs 5,000 crore in a 100 MW data center, powered by renewable energy, over the next five to seven years. AEL will work closely with local micro, small and medium enterprises, and startups to develop a globally competent supplier base for the project, which will create employment opportunities for about 600 people. Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) will invest more than Rs 5,000 crore to set up two PSPs – of 850 MW capacity at Koyabestagudem and 500 MW capacity at Nacharam. Ambuja Cements will invest Rs 1,400 crore to set up a 6 MTPA plant in the next five years. The unit will be set up across 70 acres and will significantly enhance Ambuja’s capability. The project will provide employment to over 4,000 people. Adani Defence Systems and Technologies will invest over Rs 1,000 crore in 10 years to set up a comprehensive ecosystem for the research, development, design, manufacturing and integration of counter drone and missile systems at Adani Aerospace Park. The ecosystem will significantly enhance the defence capability of the country, and would provide employment to more than 1,000 people.