The Adani Group is now the majority owner of the Indian television news network NDTV (New Delhi Television) after its co-founders, husband and wife Prannoy and Radhika Roy, sold most of their stake to the Group over the Christmas period. In a statement, the Roys said they have had discussions with Adani Group chairman, Gautam Adani, and that they are hopeful he will preserve NDTV’s values of Trust, Credibility and Independence.
An engineers’ union has alleged that an Adani-owned coal-power station is part of an unauthorised scheme to divert electricity that is contracted to supply the northern Indian state of Haryana to the western state of Gujarat – the home state of Adani chairman Gautam Adani and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the union’s complaint to authorities, the diversion occurred in the peak of the summer months, while Haryana was facing a debilitating heat wave and rolling blackouts.
Adani’s plans for huge new coal mines in India’s Hasdeo forests have created a political stoush involving three governments. One state government has asked the national government to revoke mining permits. Another wants the coal. And the national government says the decision to destroy the forests has already been made. In the midst of all this is Rahul Gandhi, one of India’s most prominent politicians.
In an interview with The Probe, Amardeep Sharma, the owner of the Cayman Islands-registered Almas Global Opportunity Fund (AGOF), claimed that the entity was eligible to bid for the government-owned helicopter service provider Pawan Hans Limited. He also asserted that the fund had no connection to Kudakwashe Reginald Tagwirei – a controversial businessman from Zimbabwe who has been sanctioned by the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom.
A prominent and popular news anchor has resigned from an Indian TV network that has effectively been taken over by Adani. The ‘hostile takeover’ ends the independence of NDTV India and is yet another blow dished out by the ruthless Adani Group to press freedom in India. The takeover has been lamented by figures from India’s opposition parties.
Bhandari, who the Indian government wants to extradite from the UK, has alleged in court that French firm Thales cheated him through a complex structure of companies, one of which is promoted by a firm founded by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and IT. The allegations, yet to be proven, find place in documents lodged in a French court. The Indian media has not picked up the story.
An association of small textile manufacturers and market leader Reliance Industries Limited are engaged in a fight over import duties on Mono Ethylene Glycol, a key raw material in the manufacture of synthetic fibres.
Did the government of India know about the link of a “notorious”, “corrupt” Zimbabwean businessman to India’s Pawan Hans disinvestment deal? Ravi Nair, Abir Dasgupta and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta reveal the complex web of companies that links controversial Zimbabwean businessman Kudakwashe Regimond Tagwirei to Almas Global Opportunity Fund, which is now at the heart of India’s Pawan Hans sale.
An attempted ‘interference’ in a legal dispute associated with Mukesh Ambani’s residence prompted an explosive protest by attorney general KK Venugopal before the Supreme Court. The connection has been ignored by the mainstream media although all averments are in the public domain. Newsclick connects the dots in this exclusive analysis.
