“To Acquire Wisdom, One Must Experience Life,” Says Gautam Adani

Ahmedabad:
In a recent address at the Adani International School in Ahmedabad, Gautam Adani, the 62-year-old chairman of the Adani Group, reflected on his remarkable journey from a young entrepreneur to one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. Adani’s story is a testament to resilience, hard work, and the power of dreams.
Adani’s entrepreneurial spirit was ignited at the age of 16 when he moved to Mumbai to work in a diamond assortment company. Within three years, he had established his own diamond trading brokerage in Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazar. Recalling his first significant trade, Adani mentioned, “I still remember the day I did my first trade with a Japanese buyer. I made a commission of Rs 10,000. I was 19 years old, and this was the start of my journey as an entrepreneur.”
In 1981, Adani returned to Gujarat to help his elder brother, Mahasukhbhai, manage a small-scale PVC film factory in Ahmedabad. This venture marked the beginning of his foray into global trade. In 1988, he founded Adani Exports, now known as Adani Enterprises, which initially focused on commodity trading and later expanded into various sectors such as ports, power generation, mining, and renewable energy.
Adani’s expansion into port operations was a pivotal moment. He began operating a port at Mundra on the Gujarat coast, which eventually grew to become India’s largest port operator. Today, the Adani Group is a multifaceted conglomerate with interests in airports, cement, media, and more.
Despite his immense success, Adani acknowledges the value of formal education. “A question I often get is if I have any regrets that I did not go to college. Reflecting on my life and the different turns it took, I now do believe that I would have benefitted if I had finished college,” he said. However, he emphasizes that life experiences are crucial for acquiring wisdom. “To acquire wisdom, one must experience life — but to acquire knowledge, one must study. These are complementary.”
Adani’s advice to students is to dream big and relentlessly pursue their aspirations. “The walls of any classroom should not define the limits of your dreams. Let this classroom be the launchpad for your aspirations. Don’t just absorb the knowledge, let it ignite your imagination and drive your ambitions,” he advised. He outlined three guiding principles: dream relentlessly, learn relentlessly, and build relentlessly.
“Create businesses that solve the world’s challenges. Lead with integrity and compassion. Innovate in ways that inspire the next generation. Push the boundaries of what you think is possible,” Adani urged the students. His vision is to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs who can build their own paths and contribute meaningfully to society.