India's Adanis agree to pay $18m to settle civil fraud case in the US

The US securities regulator had accused the Adanis of paying bribes and misleading investors, which they denied.

The U.S. government has agreed to settle a lawsuit with Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, who were accused by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of concealing a large-scale bribery scheme in a major solar energy project in India. The SEC alleged that the Adanis promised large bribes to Indian officials in exchange for lucrative energy contracts, while misleading U.S. investors by claiming to have strong anti-bribery protocols. The Adanis’ company, Adani Green Energy Limited, raised billions from Wall Street investors during this period. As part of the settlement, Gautam Adani will pay $6 million in civil penalties and Sagar Adani $12 million, without admitting guilt.

The Gautam Adani bribery and fraud case in the US is nearing closure after reports said the Adani Group chairman has agreed to settle the SEC's civil lawsuit. The SEC had accused the Adani group of falsely promoting the company’s compliance with anti-bribery laws in connection with a $750 million bond offering. The proposed settlement, subject to court approval, involves Gautam Adani paying $6 million and Sagar Adani paying $12 million in civil penalties.

Gautam and Sagar Adani have agreed to pay a total of $18 million in civil penalties to settle a securities fraud case brought by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), arising from allegations of bribery and misleading disclosures linked to Adani Green Energy Ltd. and related securities offerings. Gautam Adani agreed to pay $6 million while Sagar Adani agreed to pay $12 million under consent filings submitted before the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York on May 14, 2026. The settlements are subject to court approval.

Shares of India’s Adani Group companies reversed early gains to trade lower after media reports said that the U.S. Justice Department was close to dropping criminal fraud charges against billionaire chairman Gautam Adani. Bloomberg News reported that U.S. authorities were moving to resolve fraud and bribery-related cases against Adani, with the Justice Department potentially dropping criminal charges as soon as this week. Reuters separately reported that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had settled a related civil lawsuit against Adani, subject to court approval. Under the SEC settlement, Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani agreed to pay a combined $18 million in civil penalties without admitting wrongdoing.

Indian billionaire businessman Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, agreed to pay a combined $18 million to resolve the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's suit accusing them of committing securities fraud in connection with a $750 million bond offering. The proposed settlement, filed in federal court, is subject to court approval and does not include an admission of guilt.