Meet Sagar Adani: Gautam Adani’s nephew who is leading the charge in Adani Group’s green energy ambitions
Facing a barrage of hard-nosed journalists in his debut public interaction, he handled each question like a pro, effortlessly hitting sixes and fours at times.
An hour later, he was still at the crease with left hand permanently in his trouser pocket and mike on the other hand, flashing a triumphant smile and quipping, “No more questions,” leaving the exasperated journalists with nothing left to ask.
His name is Sagar Adani. With nearly a decade at the Group, Sagar, the son of Rajesh Adani, appears to be fully in command of the green energy company – Adani Green Energy Ltd ( AGEL) where he serves as the executive director.
After a brief stint under Group CFO Robbie Singh, the family decided to place him in the green energy vertical, where the group has set an ambitious target of 50 GW of renewable energy by 2030. The current renewable capacity is close to 11 GW.
Time for questions!
When asked about concerns that renewable energy is slowing down, he promptly provided AGEL’s capacity numbers. “This year, we are doubling what we did last year. We executed 3.5 gigawatts last year, and this year we will achieve over 6 gigawatts.”
He was also prepared with long-term guidance. “Our 6-plus GW target will be a sustainable run rate going forward,” he added without blinking an eye.
Wearing a fitted blue suit, Sagar Adani patiently listened to CEO Amit Singh’s presentation. But when it came to questions, he took center stage.
There was also no need for CFO to come in to rescue as Sagar had all the numbers in his fingertips.
With CEO Singh and senior management team members addressing him as ‘Sagarbhai, he was completely in command as the future leader within the fast growing group.
When questioned about foreign debt and currency risk, Sagar said, “We always consider the fully hedged cost of capital. As part of company policy, we do not leave any foreign positions open. All of our foreign debt is 100% fully hedged. This is also mandated by our bond documents due to our highest country rating.”
“Our bond issuances are rated triple B minus, the same rating as the Government of India. This compels us to hedge them 100%,” he further explained.
“We borrow construction debt at a 60:40 ratio fromi Indian and foreign markets. Once the project is operational, we refinance 100% of it into 25-year bonds in the international bond market. Ultimately, everything goes into the international bond market,” he explained it further.
With his personal security guard dressed in corporate dress keeping a close eye on him from inside the meeting place, Sagar was effortlessly answering questions with much detailed explanation.
“We are starting a program this year to develop the domestic bond market as well. Currently, the domestic bond market is mostly accessible to financial institutions and government companies. We are working closely to develop a robust domestic bond market to shift much of this construction debt from the international to the domestic bond market,” he elaborated.
When asked about fluctuations in raw material prices, especially modules, Sagar, philosophically responded, “When we design our execution plans, we include a significant cushion to account for price increases. It would be unwise to assume historically low prices will sustain for the next three to five years. Therefore, we always incorporate these cushions into our financial planning,” he said.
Nearly a decade ago, Sagar Adani embarked on his journey with the Group after graduating in Economics from Brown University, USA. Sagar is also a regular in the quarterly investor calls where he faces sophisticated investors.
Perhaps that is why CEO Singh never has to intervene or correct him politically while talking to media.
He knows well where to draw the line in a listed company where any price sensitive information would land him in trouble.
Whether it’s the bond market, green energy, or government policy, Sagar had a ready answer to convince everyone.
Finally, a shout out for group photograph. And he was in. Surely, a memorable moment marking his first interaction with the fourth estate.