Gautam Adani compares Navi Mumbai airport to a lotus, says its gateway to India's future

Adani also highlighted the airport's focus on sustainability and self-reliance, calling it "a beacon of Atmanirbharta"

New Delhi: Business tycoon Gautam Adani on Wednesday likened his group's just-opened international airport in Navi Mumbai to a 'lotus', which will act as a powerful economic multiplier and prove to be a gateway to India's future.

Writing on LinkedIn soon after the inauguration of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he called the event a landmark moment in India's infrastructure and nation-building journey.

Describing the airport as "a testament to India's visionary leadership and the power of public-private partnership", Adani emphasised the project's rapid execution - completed in under 50 months with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore - as a symbol of the country's ambition and dynamism.

Strategically linked to Mumbai's transport network, NMIAL will work alongside the existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to ease congestion and stimulate economic growth in the region. The airport is expected to generate over 200,000 jobs and drive tourism, trade, and new business corridors, contributing to India's goal of a USD 10 trillion economy.

Adani, chairman of Adani Group which built the airport, also highlighted the airport's focus on sustainability and self-reliance, calling it "a beacon of Atmanirbharta", reflecting India's heritage and future aspirations.

He reaffirmed the Adani Group's commitment to nation-building, with plans to expand investments in aviation, logistics, sustainability, and digital infrastructure. "Our greatest honour will always be to serve Bharat," he said.

Calling assignment of job to build and operate the new airport as a "sacred trust", Adani said he carried the tax with "deep reverence, humility, and price through every step of the past five years".

Stating that he always believed that India's infrastructure is about spirit and soul, Adani said the new airport, "rising from the soil of Maharashtra, is like a lotus, a symbol deeply rooted in our heritage, yet reaching for the sky".

It reflects the essence of modern India: ancient in its wisdom, yet dynamic and boundless in its ambition, he said.

With sustainability at its heart, it embodies the group's commitment to a greener future, he said. "Every flight that departs from these runways will carry the blessings of 1.4 billion Indians, and every arrival will be a reminder to the world that India's moment is now."

The Navi Mumbai International Airport, he said, is a milestone. "It reinforces our resolve to continue building the arteries of progress and prosperity for our motherland."

India, he said, is one of the few places on earth where building the country is not just a commercial endeavour but a form of national service.

"When we broke ground in September 2021, we carried a dream - to create a world-class gateway reflecting India's ambition and Mumbai's energy. In less than 50 months, with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore, India's largest greenfield aviation project stands ready - built in a world record time. This is a testament to speed, scale, and the spirit of a New Bharat," he said.

Turning poetic, he said every take-off from the airport will be a story of aspiration and every landing a homecoming. "Its true value will not be measured in passenger traffic, but in the human connections it fosters and the dreams it helps realize."

By easing the congestion in Mumbai and serving as a new economic engine, it will create a ripple effect of prosperity that empowers communities across the region, contributing to India's journey towards a USD 10 trillion economy, he added.