US Regulators Fault Indian Authorities for Not Serving Summons to Gautam Adani

US SEC Faults Indian Authorities for Delay in Serving Summons to Gautam Adani.

A high-profile legal battle in the Eastern District of New York against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has stalled, with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) telling a federal court that Indian authorities have yet to serve formal summons to the Adani Group chairman and his associates.

In a status report filed on August 11, the SEC said procedural hurdles under the Hague Service Convention were blocking progress in its civil lawsuit, which accuses Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and others of securities law violations and misleading US investors. The case stems from allegations that the Adani Group paid about $265 million in bribes to Indian officials to secure lucrative solar power contracts — claims the group has called “baseless.”

The SEC first sought help from India’s Ministry of Law and Justice in February 2025, but nearly four months later, the summons remained unserved. The Ministry reportedly passed the request to an Ahmedabad court, yet the SEC has received no confirmation of action.

In its latest filing, the SEC said it is continuing to coordinate with Indian authorities and has also sent “Notices of Lawsuit and Requests for Waiver of Service” directly to Adani’s legal counsel in India.

The civil action follows a November 22, 2024 indictment in New York that charged Adani and others with bribery and fraud between 2020 and 2024. US prosecutors allege the scheme was concealed from American banks and investors while the group raised billions for its solar projects.

While separate from the criminal case, the SEC lawsuit is based on the same core allegations — and remains stalled until the summons are served in India.