Adani is eyeing a tiny Himalayan kingdom to power his international blueprint
Gautam Adani is exploring investment opportunities in Bhutan's Gelephu Mindfulness City, a new urban project aimed at transforming the southern region of the Himalayan kingdom into a thriving economic hub. Gelephu Governor Lotay Tshering told Bloomberg, Bhutan is engaging with the Adani Group, led by Asia's second-richest individual, to develop solar and hydroelectric plants within this ambitious 1,000-square-kilometer township near the Indian border.
Bhutan’s investment initiative underscores its long-standing alliance with India, which views Bhutan’s growth as strategic for countering China’s influence in the region. This partnership offers Adani Group a chance to bolster its green energy portfolio, aligning with its existing international projects across Israel, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.
Governor Tshering, who served as Bhutan’s Prime Minister until 2023, revealed that hundreds of sites have been identified for renewable energy projects in the Gelephu area. With an estimated capacity addition of 20 gigawatts, the project aims to establish a sustainable energy network. This includes planned contracts for constructing roads, bridges, and facilities that could attract investors from across Asia.
In addition to energy projects, discussions are in progress for constructing an international airport and a dry port, with the Adani Group among those reportedly interested. The airport project, which is still in the planning phase, would upgrade Gelephu’s small airstrip, currently serving only a single
