India must stop allowing others to define its identity, says Adani

"If we do not narrate who we are, others will rewrite who we were," Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani said on Friday, calling for India to take charge of its global narrative through cinema, storytelling, and emerging technologies.

Speaking at Whistling Woods International, Adani emphasised that India must stop allowing foreign voices to define its identity. "Silence is not humility, it is surrender," he said, pointing to films like Gandhi and Slumdog Millionaire as examples of how India's stories have often been told through Western lenses.

He argued that India's failure to own its story has allowed others to profit off caricatures of its reality, and said the country must stop allowing others to define its identity.

He also warned of the double-edged power of storytelling in an era where narratives "move markets faster than numbers". Referring to the 2023 Hindenburg report that temporarily wiped over USD 100 billion off Adani Group's market value, he said the episode was a stark reminder of how a false script, amplified globally, can erase decades of work.

"In a matter of days, over USD 100 billion of our market value was erased, not because any fundamentals had changed, not because facts had failed, but because a totally false story had been weaponised," he said, calling the short-seller report a "calculated attack" on his ports-to-energy conglomerate.

The Adani group, he said, has reclaimed the narrative completely and emerged far stronger post this attack. And the episode highlighted an era "where headlines can undo decades of hard work, and where stories of truth trail stories of perception".

"And this experience taught me that in today's world, truth must also be loudly told. For silence leaves space for others to script your destiny," he said.

"If we do not narrate who we are, others will rewrite who we were. That is why we must own our story, not with arrogance, but with authenticity, not as propaganda, but as purpose."  ?He cited the example of American movies like Top Gun. The movie "is not just selling cinema; it is projecting power".

"Behind the dogfights and heroism lies brilliantly crafted narratives, one that showcases national pride, the might of the US military, and drives exports, an image of American courage to every corner of the world. These films are not just stories. They are strategic instruments designed to shape perception, project US strength, and define US identity," he said and went on to add movies like Independence Day, Black Hawk Down, American Sniper, Rocky, Apollo 13, and Rambo to the list.

Each global superhit, projected not just America's might but also its moral authority, proving that while soldiers may conquer land, the storytellers conquer mindshare, he said.

"For too long, India's voice has been firm within our own borders but faint beyond them," he said. "And in that silence, others have lifted the pen, sketching Bharat through their lenses tinted by bias and shaped by their convenience."  Citing films like Slumdog Millionaire and Gandhi, Adani questioned why Indian stories continue to be told through foreign lenses. "Our sorrow has become their spectacle," he said, calling for an end to the cultural outsourcing of Indian identity.

He emphasised that in today's world, "truth must also be loudly told".

"Our weakness has never been imagination; it has been hesitation," he said.

Adani warned that the power of storytelling can be a double-edged sword. "In the right hands, it shapes nations. In the wrong hands, it manipulates minds."  In a wide-ranging and impassioned speech, Adani paid tribute to cinematic legends Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt, praised the role of film in the nation-building, and emphasised that every project begins with a story - not steel.

Looking ahead, Adani outlined how AI will reshape the future of cinema - enabling instant global releases, real-time storytelling, and hyper-personalised content.

He called on young creators to wield these tools to tell Bharat's story with authenticity and purpose.

Cinema powered by AI-predicting will make content creation radically cheaper, personalised, and real-time. He forecast a future of "immortal actors", AI-human creative studios, and interactive films doubling as e-commerce platforms.

"This is the world you are stepping into," Adani told students, warning that with such creative power comes responsibility.

"If we do not narrate who we are, others will rewrite who we were," he said, adding that "May your generation give Bharat her voice, her song, and her stories back".

Looking ahead, Adani painted a futuristic picture of cinema revolutionised by AI-featuring instant multilingual releases, AI-composed music, real-time storytelling, and hyper-personalised films. "The next great unlocking of human potential won't come from what we discover, but from what we dare to create," he said.