Adani Group bets big on Rajasthan’s deserts

Major players in the renewable energy sector are making a beeline to Rajasthan for generating ‘green energy’. The investors’ summit this week highlighted commitments from both the Adani Group and the Tatas to the state.

The Thar desert in the western part of the state, which enjoys as many as 330 days of bright sunshine every year, is emerging as a major hub for solar energy. Out of the investment of over Rs 10 lakh crore, seventy per cent is expected to be investment in the ‘green energy’ sector.

On Friday, Gautam Adani’s presence at the summit and his announcement of making a fresh investment of Rs 65,000 crore in the state was the highlight. The Adani Group, the industrialist pointed out, had already invested Rs 20,000 crore in the state and generating 4,000 MW of renewable energy. Over the next five years the conglomerate, he added, hoped to generate additional 10,000 MW of renewable energy in the state. The Adani group chairman also drew attention to the world’s largest wind-solar hybrid power plant commissioned in Rajasthan barely a week ago.

The Group is betting big on ‘green hydrogen’ and its ability to generate the most ‘inexpensive solar and wind power’. Rajasthan’s deserts provided an opportunity that no other state has, he underlined, adding that the deserts will be a game changer for the state. Its deserts, he predicted, will be the state’s greatest strength in future.

The Adanis already operate the dry port container terminal in Kishangarh, manages the Jaipur airport and have two oil manufacturing plants at Alwar and Bundi. The Group is also developing networks to supply PNG and CNG for industrial, commercial, domestic and the transport sector. Over the next five years the Group expects to help generate 40,000 direct or indirect jobs in the state, announced Gautam Adani.