The Adani Group is gearing up to establish a think tank aimed at shaping policy discourse across three critical domains: energy transition and climate change, economics and trade, and geopolitics and strategic affairs. According to sources quoted by the Economic Times, the unit, which will be called the Chintan Research Foundation, could start operations as early as May, with an initial funding of Rs 100 crore.

This think thank thrusts the infrastructure conglomerate into direct competition with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), backed by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which emerged in 1990. The ORF, headquartered in New Delhi and in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, hosts The Raisina Dialogue, India”s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics.

“The idea is to create a research foundation that can stand on its own among global think tanks,” said a person familiar with the development, emphasising the foundation”s independence from the Gautam Adani-led group. The governance framework is meticulously designed to uphold its autonomy.

The selection process for a chairperson, advisory board members, and research personnel for the foundation is currently underway. The New Delhi-headquartered foundation will have branches in Washington and London to facilitate international collaboration.

Last month, the Adani Group partnered with The Science Museum in the UK for a new gallery called The Adani Green Energy Gallery. Beyond renewable energy, the conglomerate holds diverse interests spanning ports, cement, power, coal, and FMCG.

This year, Gautam Adani returned the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with a net worth pegged at $97.6 billion and as India”s richest man, beating RIL chairperson Mukesh Ambani, who ranked 13th globally and second in India with a fortune of $97 billion.