From Faith to Freedom: Dr. Priti Adani Inspires Global Changemakers at AVPN

AVPN Global Conference – 9 September 2025, Hong Kong

A Story from the Deserts of Kutch

It was nearly 26 years ago, in the arid deserts of Kutch in Gujarat, that I witnessed a moment which continues to guide my thinking about hope, perseverance, and transformation.

The sun was merciless that day. The sand was dry, the air heavy with heat, and the earth cracked with drought. In the middle of that harsh landscape, I saw her — a woman bent low to the ground.

Her hands were frail with fatigue but alive with faith. Carefully, she pressed tiny seeds into the barren soil and gently watered them.

I could not resist asking her: “Why? Why do you plant when the land is so dry?”

She looked up at me with eyes that sparkled with hope and said: “Because one day, the rains will come. And if the seeds are not planted, what will the rains awaken?”

This story has stayed with me, because it is not merely about planting seeds in the soil. It is about planting seeds of belief, conviction, and hope in the future. It is about awakening possibilities even before the conditions are right.

And as I stand before you today, at this remarkable AVPN Global Conference, I feel the same spirit in this room — the spirit of planting in faith, of believing in tomorrow, of working together to awaken possibilities that the future rains will nurture.

AVPN as a Movement

That is why, as I learn more about AVPN, I do not just see an organization or a network. I see something much larger.

I see a movement.
I see a belief system.
I see a powerful ocean, nourished by many rivers: philanthropists, businesses, governments, and changemakers — all flowing into a shared purpose.

And that shared purpose is singular, powerful, and deeply human: to create impact.

My Journey from Dentistry to Philanthropy

When I think of impact, I am reminded of my own journey. Nearly four decades ago, I had just graduated as a dentist. My dream at that time was simple — to become one of the finest dentists in Ahmedabad, and to serve people through my profession.

But life had different plans.

In my early twenties, I married Gautam. He too was in his twenties — restless, ambitious, and dreaming dreams larger than what most thought possible.

The world would later come to know him as one of the greatest builders of modern infrastructure. But in those early years, what I saw was not just ambition. I saw conviction. Gautam would often share with me a perspective that shaped my thinking deeply.

He said: “Priti, the worth of nation-building is not measured by what gets constructed, but by what gets sustained — schools that enlighten, hospitals that nurture, and livelihoods that uplift. If these sustain, then our legacy sustains.”

At the time, I did not know who Gautam would eventually become. But I had faith. Faith in his stories, faith in his drive, faith in his vision for India, and faith in his dream of nation-building.

It was this faith that gave me the courage to set aside my profession — the dentistry I loved — and to walk beside Gautam, supporting his journey and his dreams.

The Birth of the Adani Foundation

I could never have imagined then that the small lamp we lit together in 1996 would grow into what is today the Adani Foundation. Nor could I have imagined that it would later be strengthened further through our family’s pledge of $7 billion to philanthropy.

But what I did believe firmly was this: if we nurtured our convictions and sowed the seeds with care, the rains would eventually come.

And they did.

Our Five Pillars of Work

Today, the Adani Foundation stands on five deeply interconnected pillars:

1. Education
2. Healthcare and Nutrition
3. Sustainable Livelihoods
4. Community Infrastructure
5. Climate Action

Together, these pillars allow us to serve more than 7,000 villages across India and touch the lives of over 9.6 million people.

But our true impact is not captured in numbers. Impact lies in the stories — stories of resilience, stories of hope, stories of transformation, and stories of empowerment.

Allow me to share just three of those stories with you.

Story One: Vansh’s Flight to Freedom

In the tribal region of Umarpada in Gujarat, we met Vansh, a three-year-old child weighing barely 8 kilograms. At that age, a healthy child should weigh nearly double that.

His breath was shallow. His body was wasting away. His eyes were lifeless. His mother’s gaze reflected despair.

Then entered one of our Adani SuPoshan Sanginis — local women trained to support communities in nutrition and healthcare. She carried Vansh to a nutrition centre, sat with his mother every day, encouraged her, taught her, and never surrendered hope.

Months later, I returned to find not a weak child but a butterfly in flight. Vansh was laughing, skipping, and racing across the dusty ground. He was alive. He was free.

Story Two: Rekha’s Journey of Leadership

Our second story is about Rekha Bisen, a widow from Berdipar near our power plant in Tiroda, Maharashtra.

When her husband died in a road accident, her world collapsed. She had no education, no income, and two children to feed. She was trapped in hopelessness.

But again, an Adani SuPoshan Sangini reached out. Rekha chose not to remain a passive recipient of help. She learned. She worked. She implemented. She grew into a leader.

Rekha became the first woman in her village to run a milk chilling centre. Her courage inspired 130 other women to step forward and lead lives of purpose.

Through her, freedom was multiplied — not just for herself, but for many others.

Story Three: Sonal’s Flight Across Continents

Our third story is that of Sonal Gadhvi, born into a poor farming family in Mundra, Kutch. In her community, girls rarely studied beyond primary school.

But Sonal’s father believed in her. With courage, she enrolled in the Adani Public School.

The school gave her not just knowledge, but wings. From her small village, she flew all the way to Ireland to pursue a Master’s degree in Corporate Finance. Today, she works at Apple. Earlier this year, she made us proud once again by ranking 4th globally in a top strategic case study exam.

Sonal’s story is proof that when you plant the right seeds, the harvest is limitless.

Stories as Seeds of Responsibility

I do not share these stories to impress you. I share them to remind you that they are only glimpses of a much larger reality — a reality that demands more than inspiration.

It demands responsibility.
It demands commitment.
It demands impact.

That is why this is not a moment to simply clap. It is a moment to commit.

Three Guiding Principles

From our journey, I want to leave you with three guiding principles that I believe can serve us all as we move forward together:

1. Be Co-Builders, Not Just Donors
   Philanthropy must not be seen as a one-way act of giving. Real change happens when philanthropists, corporates, governments, and communities come together, pooling resources and breaking silos. When we co-build, every dollar stretches further, and every solution reaches faster.
2. Transform Beneficiaries into Multipliers
   A true measure of impact lies not in what we give, but in how those we help become creators of hope. An educated girl lights the path for hundreds. An empowered woman awakens an entire community. Beneficiaries must become multipliers.
3. Unite Skills with Values
   Skills without values are like structures without foundations. Real transformation occurs when skills are combined with values that awaken purpose. This is what ensures that change lasts across generations.

Closing Commitment

So, my dear friends, as I close, let me say this:

We must stand together:
– Not just as donors, but as co-builders.
– Not just in sympathy, but in solidarity.
– Not just in hope, but in belief.

We must be the generation:
– That sowed seeds in drought.
– That believed before the rains came.
– That built a harvest of dignity and opportunity for all.

Because the rains will come.

And when they do, may it be said that it was us — in this very room of dreamers —
– Whose rivers flowed into an ocean of collaboration.
– Whose currents merged to multiply hope.
– Whose tides rose together to carry skills to every shore.

This is my promise: I stand here committed to working with AVPN and with all of you in the years ahead.

Namaste & thank you.