Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Anil Agarwal's Vedanta accused of lobbying to undermine environment regulations

Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project has accused the Indian government of approving these changes without public consultation

Anil Agarwal's Vedanta accused of lobbying to undermine environment regulations

In a new report, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has alleged that mining and oil conglomerate Vedanta conducted a "covert" lobbying effort to undermine significant environmental regulations during the Covid pandemic.

Furthermore, the organisation, funded by George Soros, has accused the Indian government of approving these changes without public consultation and implementing them through "illegal methods."


This follows their prior report which revealed alleged misconduct by Adani group promoters in routing funds through proxies to benefit their own shares.

"In one case, Vedanta led a push to ensure mining companies could produce up to 50 per cent more without new environmental approvals," it said.

Vedanta's oil business, Cairn India, also successfully lobbied to have public hearings scrapped for exploratory drilling in oil blocks it won in government auctions.

Since then, six of Cairn's controversial oil projects in Rajasthan have been approved despite local opposition, it claimed.

Reached for comments, a Vedanta spokesperson said the group "operates with an objective of import substitution by enhancing domestic production in a sustainable manner."

"In view of the same, continuous representations are submitted for consideration to the government in the best interest of national development and India's march towards self-reliance in natural resources," the spokesperson said without refuting the OCCRP report.

In January 2021, Vedanta group founder and chairman Anil Agarwal told the then environment minister Prakash Javadekar that the government could add impetus to India's rapid economic recovery by allowing mining companies to boost production by up to 50 per cent without having to secure new environmental clearances, OCCRP said.

"Apart from immediately boosting production and economic growth, this will generate huge revenue for the government and create massive jobs," Agarwal wrote to Javadekar, recommending that the change could be made with "a simple notification".

Javadekar quickly got to work. "VIMP [Very Important], he scribbled on the letter, directing the secretary of his ministry and the director general of forestry to "discuss [the] policy issue."

Previous industry efforts to push for a similar change had stalled. But this time, Agarwal would get what he wanted, OCCRP said.

"In early 2022, after a series of closed-door meetings, India's environment ministry loosened regulations to allow mining companies to increase production by up to 50 per cent without needing to hold public hearings, which many in the industry considered the most onerous requirement of the environmental clearance process," it said.

OCCRP said it combed through thousands of government documents -- ranging from internal memos and the minutes of closed-door meetings to letters like the one from Agarwal -- obtained using freedom of information requests.

"The records show government officials tailored the rules in line with requests made by the industry, and in particular Vedanta," it claimed.

Vedanta's subsidiary Cairn Oil & Gas also lobbied to scrap public hearings for oil exploration projects. "As with mining, the government quietly amended the law with no public consultation. Since then, at least six of Cairn's oil projects in the northern deserts of Rajasthan have been greenlit for development."

"Though Vedanta lobbied hard for the pandemic-era changes to India's environmental regulations, it's hard to say whether Modi's government was acting specifically to benefit the company, as other companies also stood to benefit," OCCRP said.

It went on to state that it found evidence that Vedanta has been an important donor to Modi's BJP party. "Two entities linked to a Vedanta subsidiary gave a combined Rs 43.5 crore to the party between 2016 and 2020, according to contribution reports filed with India's election commission by the BJP and one of the entities."

The donations from just one of these trusts, Bhadram Janhit Shalika, put it in the top ten donors to the BJP between the fiscal years 2016-2017 and 2021-22, according to data compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms, an Indian advocacy group.

"The true amount could be far more because Vedanta has also made political donations through 'electoral bonds' -- an opaque method using bank promissory notes brought in by the BJP-led government in 2018. Between 2021 and 2023, Vedanta's annual reports show it bought more than USD 35 million of these bonds though it's unclear how much, if any, of this may have gone to Modi's party," OCCRP said.

(PTI)

More For You

IMF approves $2.4bn Pakistan bailout despite Indian opposition

Pakistan finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb speaks during an interview at the 2025 annual IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

IMF approves $2.4bn Pakistan bailout despite Indian opposition

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday (9) approved a loan programme review for Pakistan, unlocking around $1 billion (£790 million) in much-needed funds and greenlighting a new $1.4bn (£1.1bn) bailout despite India's objections.

Pakistan came to the brink of default in 2023, as a political crisis compounded an economic downturn and drove the nation's debt burden to terminal levels.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bill Gates Vows to Donate Bulk of His Fortune by 2045

Gates explained that his new approach to giving accelerates his previous plan

Getty

Bill Gates to give away most of his wealth by 2045

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has announced his intention to give away 99% of his wealth by 2045, pledging to accelerate his charitable giving through his foundation.

In a blog post published on Thursday, 8 May 2025, Gates, 69, shared his plan to use the next two decades to distribute most of his vast fortune. He intends to wind down the operations of his foundation by 2045, a decision that marks an acceleration of his previous philanthropic goals.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bank of England

The announcement from the Bank of England followed Donald Trump’s announcement of a trade agreement with Britain.

Reuters

Bank of England cuts interest rate to 4.25 per cent

THE BANK OF ENGLAND on Thursday cut its key interest rate by a quarter point to 4.25 per cent, citing concerns over slowing economic growth due to US tariffs.

This was the central bank’s fourth interest rate cut in nine months and had been widely expected by markets. The move comes in contrast to the US Federal Reserve, which decided on Wednesday to keep borrowing costs unchanged.

Keep ReadingShow less
Keir-Starmer-Getty

'Our India trade deal ... is good for British jobs. The criticism on the double taxation is incoherent nonsense,' Starmer said. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Starmer rejects claims of favouring Indian workers in trade deal

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer on Wednesday dismissed criticism that the government had sold out British workers by offering tax exemptions to some Indian workers as part of the new free trade agreement with India. He called the claims “incoherent nonsense”.

The trade deal, announced on Tuesday, includes tariff reductions on British imports to India and allows some short-term Indian workers to be exempt from paying into Britain’s social security system for up to three years. The exemption is part of the Double Contributions Convention (DCC) and also applies to British workers in India.

Keep ReadingShow less
Direct flights will link Gatwick to Uganda

Lord Collins of Highbury and Nimisha Madhvani with other officials at the launch of the UK-Uganda Growth Dialogue in Kampala

Direct flights will link Gatwick to Uganda from May 18

LORD COLLINS of Highbury, the minister for Africa, concluded a two-day visit to Uganda last month, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to sustainable development, inclusive partnerships and mutual economic growth.

During the visit (April 3–4), the minister was welcomed by president Yoweri Museveni at State House.

Keep ReadingShow less