State of Exponential Growth
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries (RIL), heads the company which will invest Rs.650 billion (bn) in Andhra Pradesh to set up 500 compressed biogas (CBG) plants over the next five years, which will be the company’s biggest investment outside Gujarat under its clean energy initiative. The plants, each involving an investment of Rs.1.3 bn, will generate employment for 250,000 people. The plan was finalised in Mumbai between RIL and Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh, who also leads the state panel on job creation. He hailed the creation of 250,000 jobs as a ‘gamechanger’ for the state's youth. The CBGs imply revenue for the state of around Rs.576.5 bn for 500 plants and will make the state a frontrunner in clean energy.

Portfolio Proliferation
Gautam Adani, Founder and Chairman, Adani Group, heads the company, which is building an in-house construction and engineering ecosystem by acquiring ITD Cementation and PSP Projects. The group in October had acquired a 46.64 per cent stake in engineering and construction firm ITD Cementation India for `32.04 billion (bn). The company has also acquired a 30.07 percent stake in construction firm PSP Projects for Rs.6.85 bn, adding PSP Projects’ robust $800 million (mn) order book to its growing portfolio. These transactions are a win-win deal for both parties. Officials from PSP Projects said with Adani’s acquisition, they expect their order book to grow as Adani portfolio companies are undertaking several projects in defence, airports and infrastructure. The company is also in the news for the indictment served by US Courts and the group cancelling its $600 mn bond sale.

New Kid on the Blox
Aditya Jhaveri, Founder and CEO, Blox, heads India’s leading digital real estate platform which has acquired a 11 per cent stake in Guardians for $12 million (mn) with plans to increase its ownership to 50 per cent over the next three years. This acquisition solidifies Blox and Guardians as India’s largest real estate seller, managing annual sales of about 25,000 homes with a consolidated gross transaction value (GTV) of $2 billion (bn). Looking ahead, Blox is set to grow its GTV fivefold to $10 bn over the next 3-5 years. As India’s first platform to combine Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) and Business-to-Business-to-Consumer (B2B2C) models, the dual-pathway model is a game-changer for India’s real estate sector, offering developers unprecedented reach and flexibility. Blox intends to redefine the digital real estate market even as it approaches a public listing.