Adani RoA breaks into global infra top tier; group's bets may now become bolder, bigger

Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani announced on October 14 that the conglomerate’s return on assets (RoA) rose to 16.5% in FY2024–25, which puts it among the top performers in the global infrastructure sector. He attributed the strong performance to disciplined growth and efficient use of capital, saying it showed that “our growth is profitable, our assets are productive, and our capital is working with precision,” news agency PTI reported.

The remarks came during the annual Shantilal Adani Lecture Series, where Adani addressed senior finance and technology leaders from across the group. The internal event, held in memory of Shantilal Adani, focuses on discussions around financial strategy, governance, and innovation.

Adani said the group’s net debt-to-EBITDA ratio stood at 2.6 times, reflecting what he called a “conservative leverage profile.” With strong internal cash flows, the conglomerate expects to self-fund a large part of its $100 billion five-year capital expenditure plan, limiting its reliance on external borrowing.


“This high ROA does more than generate cash,” PTI quoted Adani as saying. “It fortifies our credibility with lenders, deepens investor confidence, and underpins our ability to take bold bets while preserving balance sheet integrity. It is the invisible scaffolding that supports everything we build.”

He projected that India’s electricity sector could offer a $500 billion opportunity by 2032, and said the group aims to capture 20% of that market, signalling a continued push in renewable energy and infrastructure expansion.

Looking ahead, Adani outlined what he called a “Two-Track Organisation” model, marking the group’s next phase of transformation. The structure blends artificial intelligence with human judgment, creating two operational tracks -- the “Agentic Track,” driven by data precision, and the “Human Track,” guided by experience and ethics.

The company has also rolled out new finance transformation initiatives, including a Finance Control Tower that provides real-time visibility into group-wide operations and a Global Capability Centre integrating AI-led workflows to boost efficiency.

“Finance is no longer a back-office function,” Adani said. “It is the cockpit of strategic control -- where foresight meets discipline.”

Reflecting on the broader landscape, Adani said the world is at a turning point shaped by the convergence of technology, capital and human potential. For India, he said, this is a time to act boldly. “This moment is not one for caution,” he said, adding, “It is a moment for daring, for reinvention and for building a model that fuses intelligence with purpose.”