Gautam Adani calls Sharad Pawar mentor

Industrialist and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani on Sunday (December 28, 2029) described Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar as his “mentor” while inaugurating the Sharadchandra Pawar Centre for Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in Maharashtra’s Baramati region.

“Beyond his knowledge, it is his wisdom, affection, and empathy that leave the strongest imprint. What Pawar saheb has achieved here is more than local development. By strengthening co-operatives, encouraging entrepreneurship, building educational institutions, and establishing industry policy, he has turned Baramati into the living blueprint for Bharat to learn from,” Mr. Adani said.

During the inauguration, Mr. Adani and Vidya Pratishthan, the Baramati-based educational trust associated with the Pawar family, signed an MoU, under which the Adani Group will support the research and development, placements and related initiatives at the AI centre. The centre will provide technology and innovative solutions with a focus on rural development and agriculture.

Reflecting on his association with Mr. Pawar for more than three decades, he said, “Leaders like him remind us that good politics is not about slogans. It is about understanding that the nation does not rise through isolated victories, but through steady alignment of its people and institutions.”

The event comes at a time when both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party—the NCP (SP) and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP— are likely to unite for the municipal corporation elections, following the 2023 split in the undivided NCP.

Mr. Adani shared the stage with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar and his daughter and MP Supriya Sule. During the event, Ms. Sule called Mr. Adani ‘big brother’, drawing significant political attention as their allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress have constantly accused the BJP Government of having a close relationship with the Adani Group. The parties have also accused Mr. Adani of land grabs in the Dharavi Redevelopment Project and alleged that the government favoured his company in the award of contracts and deals.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that Mr. Adani’s brother had a role in the split of the NCP. Mr Raut said, “Our fight is against the Adani, the friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, who is trying to take control of Mumbai. There are many industrialists. But the way the BJP is helping Adani to swallow Mumbai, this is dangerous for the city and Marathi manoos.”

However, he said that this is a personal matter of Sharad Pawar, as he has a familial relationship with Adani.