Adani asks youth to lead ‘2nd freedom struggle’ for tech self-reliance

New Delhi: Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani has called on India’s youth to view self-reliance in technology as the country’s “second freedom struggle,” warning that dependence on foreign supply chains poses grave strategic risks.

Speaking at IIT Kharagpur on Monday, Adani said, “The battlefield today is not just about protecting our borders—it is about securing our technology leadership so we lead, and not just participate as low-cost players in the global race.”

Pointing to India’s vulnerabilities, he noted that 90 per cent of semiconductors are imported, making the digital economy hostage to disruptions. Similarly, India imports 85 per cent of its oil, “one disruption or sanction can freeze our growth,” he cautioned.

Adani warned that rapid advances in robotics and AI will erase cost advantages, forcing Indian companies and institutions to reinvent themselves or risk extinction. “Your innovation, your software code, and your ideas are today’s weapons,” he told students, urging them to see themselves as the new freedom fighters of Bharat. Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey—from a 16-year-old in Mumbai’s diamond trade to building one of the world’s largest logistics and energy networks—Adani credited bold risks and liberalisation-era opportunities for his success.

To accelerate collaboration, he proposed creating “living laboratories” at IIT Kharagpur in sectors like renewable energy, logistics, and smart mobility. He also announced the Adani–IIT Platinum Jubilee Change Makers Fellowship, aimed at channeling top talent into projects serving national priorities.

Closing his address, Adani outlined four principles for nation-building: fight as the next generation of freedom fighters, build first for Bharat, strengthen infrastructure and technology, and unite academia and industry. “One train takes you to a salary. The other takes you to a legacy. Only one train carries the pride of building Bharat,” he said.