Kharagpur (West Bengal), Aug 18 (NationPress) Gautam Adani, the Chairman of the Adani Group, embraced the roles of philosopher, historian, and futurist during his address at IIT Kharagpur on Monday, encouraging India's top engineering minds to prioritize a life of "legacy over salary".

While celebrating the institute’s Platinum Jubilee, Gautam Adani emphasized a critical choice for young Indians: to pursue stable employment with multinationals overseas or to remain in India and contribute to the vision of a $25-trillion economy by 2050.

He metaphorically stated, "One train takes you to a salary. The other takes you to a legacy. And only one train carries the pride of building Bharat." He reflected on his own journey, recalling the moment at 16 when he left Ahmedabad for Mumbai, armed only with his aspirations.

In his discourse on India’s evolution from political independence to technological reliance, Gautam Adani argued that genuine freedom in the 21st century hinges on self-sufficiency in semiconductors, energy, defense systems, and data sovereignty. "This is the freedom we must now fight for — the freedom of Atmanirbharta — if we are to be truly free," he asserted.

The Adani Group Chairman cautioned that the current pace of technological change is unprecedented. "This is not transformation at 1X speed. It is 10X. It is 100X. And it is accelerating towards 1000X," he remarked, as advancements in AI and robotics evolve rapidly.

He acknowledged the role of Indian corporations in the existing "innovation deficit" and stressed the need for greater investments in research and development. "If we corporates do not step up, we will remain users of foreign breakthroughs and never be originators. This is a future we cannot accept," he emphasized.

During the event, Gautam Adani introduced the Adani–IIT Platinum Jubilee Change Makers Fellowship and proposed the establishment of "living laboratories" in renewable energy, logistics, and airport management, providing IITians the opportunity to tackle real-world challenges.

His speech was enriched with stories from his entrepreneurial path, highlighting the creation of Mundra Port, ventures into energy, and the establishment of India’s most extensive airport network. "I speak of Mundra, Khavda, our airports, not just from an entrepreneurial perspective, but from my belief that the India growth narrative is unstoppable," he declared.

In conclusion, Gautam Adani inspired the students with a four-point call to action: "Be the new freedom fighters of Bharat, build first for Bharat, fortify our foundations, and march as one team for Bharat."