Adani pledges Rs 2,000 cr for setting up schools

New Delhi: Adani group on Monday announced Rs 2,000 crore donation for building at least 20 schools across the country as it continued to reveal details of the Rs 10,000 crore charity committed at the wedding of founder Gautam Adani's younger son.

The conglomerate had previously announced Rs 6,000 crore for constructing hospitals and another Rs 2,000 crore for skill development.

The Adani Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Gautam Adani-led group, "has collaborated with GEMS Education, a global leader in private K-12 education, to establish temples of education across the country.

"With an initial donation of INR 2,000 cr from the Adani family, the partnership will prioritize making world-class education and learning infrastructure affordable to people from all strata of society," it said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Adani had committed to spending Rs 10,000 crore on social causes when his younger son Jeet tied nuptial knots.

Stating that the partnership with GEMS Education will also give rise to best-in-class research institutions focused on developing teaching competencies supported by innovation and capability development, it said the first 'Adani GEMS School of Excellence' will come up in Lucknow in the academic year 2025-26.

"Over the next three years, at least 20 such schools in the K-12 segment will be rolled out across India's primary metropolitan cities and, subsequently, also in Tier II to IV cities," the statement said.

In these schools, 30 per cent seats in CBSE curriculum will be free for under-served and deserving children.

Leveraging the Adani Group's pan-Indian presence and extensive infrastructure capabilities and also GEMS' educational expertise, the partnership plans to develop a scalable, affordable and sustainable model for quality education for students across India.

"This initiative reflects our commitment to making world-class education affordable and widely accessible," said Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group. "By adopting global best practices and innovative digital learning through our partnership with GEMS Education, we aim to equip the next generation of change-makers to become socially responsible leaders in India."

"Our vision has always been to make quality education accessible to every learner, regardless of their socioeconomic background," said Sunny Varkey, Founder & Chairman of GEMS Education. "The collaboration with the Adani Foundation will strengthen us to expand our reach and impact, bringing our global educational expertise to learners and teachers in diverse regions of India."

The collaboration believes that transforming a nation needs a diligent and committed focus on building its youth, the statement said, adding this association will help build upon the objective of creating a highly skilled and value-based talent pool.

The Adani-GEMS schools will benefit from a global curriculum combined with the best of Indian study boards.

Since 1996, the Adani Foundation, social welfare and development arm of the Adani Group, has remained agile and deeply committed to making strategic social investments for sustainable outcomes across India. It is empowering and enriching the lives of children, women, youth, and marginalised communities in the core areas of education, health and nutrition, sustainable livelihoods, climate action, and community development.