Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, whose son Jeet Adani is set to marry diamond merchant Jaimin Shah’s daughter Diva today, announced on Wednesday that the couple have pledged to contribute Rs10 lakh ($160,000) each for the wedding of 500 differently-abled women every year.
“Jeet and Diva have decided to start their married life with a noble pledge. They have taken a ‘Mangal Seva’ pledge to contribute Rs10 lakh to the wedding of 500 Divyang (women with disabilities) sisters every year,” Mr Adani said in a post on X.
“As a father, this pledge gives me immense satisfaction. I believe this initiative will help many Divyang daughters and their families live with joy and dignity. I pray to God to bless Jeet and Diva so that they could progress on this path.”
Mr Jeet, a director at Adani Airport Holdings, and Ms Diva will tie the knot in Ahmedabad today. Mr Adani had earlier announced that the wedding would be a low-key affair without any celebrity performances.
On Wednesday, Mr Jeet met 21 newlywed Divyang women and their husbands to launch the Mangal Seva initiative, reported NDTV.
The special meeting symbolised the couple’s dedication to making a difference.
The idea behind the pledge is to help remove the financial barriers that may prevent Divyang women from having dignified weddings.
Mr Jeet, who joined the Adani Group in 2019, oversees the operations of eight airports in India. The 27-year-old, an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, also manages the Adani Group’s defence, petrochemicals and copper businesses.
He said his inspiration for the pledge came from his visit to Mitti Cafe, a restaurant chain in India that employs people with disabilities. He was deeply moved by the resilience and positivity of the staff at Mitti Cafe, despite the hardships they faced.
Mr Jeet recalled how the staff members at Mitti Cafe displayed extraordinary strength and compassion, inspiring him to support individuals with disabilities further.
“When I went to the opening of Mitti Cafe at Mumbai International Airport, the smiles and warmth of their staff members, despite all the challenges they have faced, deeply moved me,” he said.
Mr Jeet has long been an advocate for supporting the differently-abled, observed the Economic Times.
During his appearance on the reality web series Shark Tank India, he proposed a special episode dedicated to entrepreneurs with disabilities, a suggestion that was embraced by Indian matrimonial service Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal.
This led to the launch of a “Divyang Special” episode.
Mr Jeet also revealed that the Adani Group has set a target to ensure that five per cent of its workforce is comprised of persons with disabilities.
Mr Jeet’s mother Priti Adani has also played a significant role in shaping his philanthropic approach. She transformed the Adani Foundation from a small project in Gujarat to a major force for change.
