Who Founded Adani Group?

Gautam Adani · Founded 1988 · HQ today: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Who founded Adani Group?

Adani Group was founded by Gautam Adani in 1988. It is now led by Gautam Adani.

Founders: Gautam Adani
Founded: 1988
Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Number of founders: 1
Current CEO: Gautam Adani (since 1988)

Where was Adani Group founded?: Adani Group was founded in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India in 1988.
When was Adani Group founded?: Adani Group was founded in 1988.
Who started Adani Group?: Adani Group was founded by Gautam Adani.
How old is Adani Group?: Adani Group is 38 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Adani Group traces its origin to Adani Exports, founded by Gautam Adani in Ahmedabad in 1988 as a trading business. The official group history says he had previously worked as a diamond sorter and later entered PVC imports. The group moved from trading toward asset ownership through the development of Mundra Port.

Gautam Adani

Background

The official group history says Gautam Adani began as a diamond sorter in 1978 and later entered PVC imports after returning to Ahmedabad.

Role at Adani Group

He founded Adani Exports in 1988. The business later became Adani Enterprises, the listed flagship and incubator of the broader Adani portfolio. Official Adani sources identify him as Founder and Chairman.

Gautam Adani was born in 1962. Education: Sheth Chimanlal Nagindas Vidyalaya.

Gautam Shantilal Adani was born on June 24, 1962. In 2022 Time magazine included him in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Adani Group: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Gautam Adani

Founder and Chairman

1988 – Present

Founded the group in 1988 as a commodity trading firm and has chaired it since. He systematically expanded the business from its trading origins into a sprawling infrastructure conglomerate encompassing ports, power generation, transmission, renewable energy, and airport operations, aligning the group's capital investments with India's national infrastructure priorities.

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Who Founded Adani Group? FAQ

Who founded the original Adani business?

Gautam Adani founded Adani Exports in Ahmedabad in 1988. The trading business later became Adani Enterprises.

Who leads Adani Group?

Official group sources identify Gautam Adani as Founder and Chairman. This profile does not call him CEO because the cited sources do not use that title.

Is Adani Group the same company as Adani Enterprises?

No. Adani Group is a privately controlled promoter portfolio. Adani Enterprises Limited is one listed company in the portfolio and acts as its flagship incubator.

How did Gautam Adani start his business?

He dropped out of college and moved to Mumbai to work as a diamond sorter before returning to Gujarat to help manage his brother's plastics business, which led him to global trading.

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