Billionaire Gautam Adani charged in US with $265m bribery, fraud

Gautam Adani, the chairperson of Indian conglomerate Adani Group

Gautam Adani, the chairperson of Indian conglomerate Adani Group, speaks at the World Congress of Accountants in Mumbai in November 19, 2022.

Photo credit: AFP

Gautam Adani, the billionaire chair of Indian conglomerate Adani Group and one of the world's richest people, has been indicted in New York over his role in an alleged multibillion-dollar bribery and fraud scheme, US prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Authorities said Adani and seven other defendants, including his nephew Sagar Adani, agreed to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain contracts expected to yield $2 billion of profit over 20 years and develop India's largest solar power plant project.