Cites Alleged $250 Million in Bribes Paid to Indian Officials

February 12, 2025

India recorded a corruption score of 38 in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, marking a one-point decrease from the previous year. Placing India 96th among 180 countries measured, the Index suggested India “must do much more to safeguard clean energy initiatives.”

“Across the subcontinent, 2024 saw India (38) embroiled in a US indictment of a clean energy business due to more than US$250 million paid in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain solar energy contracts worth billions of dollars, said the Index. “This indicates that the country – which receives more climate finance than any other – must do much more to safeguard clean energy initiatives.”

In November 2024, U.S. federal prosecutors indicted Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, along with seven associates, alleging they orchestrated a scheme to pay over $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure solar energy contracts, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The indictment claims that between 2020 and 2024, these bribes facilitated the acquisition of contracts projected to generate more than $2 billion in profits over 20 years. The accused include Sagar Adani, Gautam Adani’s nephew, and Vneet Jaain, CEO of Adani Power. The charges include securities fraud, wire fraud, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The Adani Group has denied the allegations, labelling them as baseless.

In the Asia Pacific region, which is situated in the eastern and southern part of Asia and includes India among its diverse group of countries, the average slid by one point to 44, according to the analysis. Several governments in the region are not meeting anti-corruption commitments, and policy enforcement faces hurdles, said the report.

“This is especially devastating considering corruption’s detrimental impact on climate change – the biggest challenge humanity faces,” stated the report, noting that climate-related concerns appear throughout the region, connecting corruption to climate issues. Corruption, it said, can disrupt regulations, derail climate finance and obstruct the creation or enforcement of environmental laws. In locations prone to floods or cyclones, ineffective use of disaster preparedness budgets can leave people exposed to harm, it warned.

It added, “Asia Pacific is home to a third of the world’s population, has the second largest number of young people, and is the region most prone to natural disasters. Without concerted efforts to fight corruption now, this first generation currently facing extreme climate change will bear the brunt of its disastrous consequences.”

Meanwhile, South Asia showed varying outcomes in the 2024 index. Nepal recorded a score of 34, Pakistan 27, Bangladesh 23, Sri Lanka 32, and Bhutan 72, according to the. The Maldives matched India with 38, while Afghanistan scored 17.