Gautam Adani shares ‘golden lessons’ from his Mumbai days

Gautam Adani’s Success Story: Gautam Adani, one of India’s richest men, recently spoke at Jai Hind College in Mumbai, the same college that rejected his application in the late 1970s. He was rejected at age 16 but went on to build a business empire worth $220 billion. In his talk, “Breaking Boundaries: The Power of Passion and Unconventional Paths to Success,” he recounted his journey from a Mumbai diamond sorter to a successful entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of dreaming big and pushing boundaries.

Gautam Adani’s journey began when he moved to Mumbai at the age of 16 to work as a diamond sorter. He applied to Jai Hind College in 1977 or 1978, where his elder brother Vinod was studying, but was rejected. Vikram Nankani, president of the Jai Hind College Alumni Association, introduced Adani and recalled the story, calling him a “recognized alumnus” because he had applied to the college.

Nankani said, “Fortunately or unfortunately, the college didn’t accept him, so he worked full-time and chose another career path.” After spending two years in Mumbai, Adani returned to Gujarat to work in a packaging factory run by his brother. In 1998, he started his own company, entering the commodities trading business, which was the beginning of his career in the business world.

The growth of Adani’s business empire

Over the past 25 years, Adani’s business has expanded into a range of areas, including ports, mining, infrastructure, power, city gas, renewable energy, cement, real estate, data centres and media. It now operates 13 seaports and seven airports in India, is the largest private power supplier and a leader in renewable energy production. It also runs India’s second-largest cement company and is involved in expressway construction and the redevelopment of major slum areas in Asia.

Adani explained, “Leaving my education and moving to Mumbai meant taking a risk on an uncertain future. People often ask why I moved to Mumbai instead of completing my education. The answer is that I saw borders as challenges that tested my courage. I wanted to see if I had the courage to build a life in the most vibrant city in our country.”

Lessons from Mumbai

Adani learned a lot about trading early in his time in Mumbai, which proved to be a valuable teacher. He says, “Trading taught me that an entrepreneur should not get stuck in a rut, overthinking his options. Mumbai showed me that to achieve great things, you first have to dream beyond your limitations.”

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