On a day Gautam Adani inaugurated the Sharadchandra Pawar Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in Baramati, NCP (S-P) chief Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule were effusive in their praise of the industrialist while highlighting the close bond between the two families. Not to be left behind was Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who was also fulsome in his praise. In turn, Adani described Sharad Pawar as his mentor.
However, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alleged that it was Adani who had engineered the NCP split.
Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said it should not be forgotten who split the NCP. “It was Adani who split the NCP, no one should forget that,” he alleged.
Maharashtra Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “The Adani Group has established its monopoly on the industrial sector through their BJP connection… We are strongly opposed to their proximity to the prime minister, which is helping them establish their hegemony in the wrong manner. Whatever our alliance partners are doing, it is their lookout…”
Talking about Adani, Sule said, “Our relations go back 30 years. Gautam bhai is like my elder brother, and Pritiji is my bhabi.
“If there is any good news or bad news in my life, I make it a point to reveal it to Gautambhai. Sometimes I get scolded, and sometimes I get appreciation. Our relationship is based on love and trust.”
Hailing Adani’s achievements, Sule said, “Gautambhai is not only successful in India but also in the world. As a family, we have seen his struggle right from his early days. Very few people know how he started off in life. Whatever Gautambhai has achieved today, I think, the credit for this goes to his wife’s patience. Behind every successful man there is an extraordinarily patient woman. And a classic example of this is Priti bhabhi, who has been extraordinarily patient and strong.”
In his speech, Ajit Pawar said, “Gautam Adani often comes to Baramati… Gautambhai started his business from zero in 1988. And today, Adani Group has expanded to 20 countries. The Adani Group is providing jobs to three lakh people in the country. And Gautambhai was telling me that this figure would reach 5 lakh in the next five years. This means families of five lakh people will be dependent on the Adani Group. It reflects their vision and their tenacity. You won’t believe but in Gujarat, Adani Group has acquired two lakh acre barren land and set up a solar plant of 30,000 megawatt. This is not as simple as it looks. The Adani Group is working in several segments…
“You might wonder why I am praising them so much. But I think truth be told… The Adani Group has set up two hospitals, each worth Rs 5,000 crore. They have 1,000 beds. Five hundred beds are reserved for the poor who can’t afford to pay the hospital bill. The remaining 500 are for those who can pay the bill.”
Ajit Pawar further said, “The Adani Group has Rs 1,000 crore CSR funds. In the next two years, the CSR fund will go up to Rs 3,000 crore. The Adani Group is doing everything possible to help the poor.”
Addressing the gathering, Sharad Pawar said, “I am happy that Gautam Adani himself came to inaugurate the centre…Gautam Adani occupies a prominent place in the country’s industrial map. He has made contributions in several fields. He started his career from zero, charted his own course and reached new heights as an industrialist. It requires an indomitable spirit to succeed in life, and he has shown the way by making it through a difficult phase.”
Describing Sharad Pawar as his mentor, Adani said, “I have been blessed to have known Pawarsaheb for over three decades. What I have learnt from him has no parallel. Beyond his knowledge, it is his wisdom, his affection and deep empathy that leave the strongest imprint. That is why he has always been a mentor in the truest sense.”
Adani said he has visited Baramati several times. “I can say with absolute conviction that what Pawarsaheb has achieved here is beyond just local development. He has transformed agriculture, strengthened cooperatives, encouraged entrepreneurship, built educational institutions, established industry policy and done so in an unparalleled, integrated manner,” he added.
The Sharadchandra Pawar Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in Baramati, funded by the Adani Group, has been established under Vidya Pratishthan, which is run by the Pawar family. “This partnership is a commitment to build applied technological capability, where AI research, engineering and execution move together in an integrated fashion… Baramati stands as a symbol of one such transformation, with limitless potential, made possible by the vision of an extraordinary leader and mentor, Sharad Pawar,” Adani concluded.