Documents contained in the so-called Epstein files reveal a sustained relationship between the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein and Indian businessman Anil Ambani, with communications and meetings between 2017 and 2019 that included discussions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and efforts to secure back-channel political access in Washington.
The records also point to a May 2019 meeting that Epstein later portrayed as an interaction with a representative sent by Modi during India’s general election period, at a time when Ambani was simultaneously expanding his interests in the defence sector amid heightened political scrutiny.
The records, drawn from text messages, emails and calendar entries recovered from Epstein’s seized electronic devices, indicate that Ambani sought Epstein’s assistance in navigating American political circles, while Epstein positioned himself as a facilitator capable of linking Indian business and political interests with influential figures in the United States, particularly within the Trump administration’s orbit.
The most consequential exchanges took place in May 2019, when India’s election results were being counted, and Narendra Modi secured a decisive re-election victory, during which Epstein coordinated a meeting with Ambani in New York on May 23, the same day results were formally announced, and subsequently described the encounter to former Trump strategist Steve Bannon as a meeting with Modi’s representative.
Epstein’s messages to Bannon suggested that the individual he met spoke about Modi’s frustration with limited engagement from Washington, framed China as India’s principal strategic adversary along with Pakistan as a regional proxy, and conveyed alignment with Bannon’s anti-China worldview, although the documents do not establish that Ambani had any formal authority to represent the Prime Minister or that Modi was aware of Epstein’s claims.
On the afternoon of May 23, Ambani visited Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, with subsequent messages from Epstein indicating satisfaction with the meeting, while later communications show Epstein proposing to both Ambani and Bannon that a meeting between Modi and Bannon could be arranged, an idea to which Ambani responded affirmatively without evidence that it progressed further.
The relationship between Epstein and Ambani appears to have begun in early 2017, following an introduction by Dubai Ports World chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, at a time when Ambani’s Reliance ADA Group was aggressively entering the defence sector, positioning itself as a major private player in an area traditionally dominated by public enterprises.
In February 2017, Reliance Group announced a joint venture with French aerospace manufacturer Dassault Aviation, forming Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited, which was tasked with manufacturing components for 36 Rafale fighter aircraft that India had agreed to purchase from France in 2016, a deal that later became the centre of intense political controversy and opposition allegations of favouritism, claims consistently denied by the government.
The Epstein files show Ambani seeking guidance on engaging the White House on defence cooperation, requesting introductions to senior Trump administration figures, and exploring informal diplomatic channels, while Epstein offered advice on regulatory constraints, suggested intermediaries, and facilitated introductions to political, diplomatic and business figures in the United States, Israel and Europe.
As Ambani’s financial and legal pressures mounted in 2019, including insolvency proceedings and court-mandated repayments, the communications shifted towards personal financial advice, with Epstein offering suggestions on structuring loans and arranging meetings in New York, all while continuing to leverage Ambani’s proximity to Indian power as a means of enhancing his own perceived political relevance.
The Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed Epstein’s claims regarding Modi as baseless fabrications by a convicted criminal, while responses from Ambani and his corporate representatives remain awaited. In a statement on January 31, the MEA has said, “Beyond the fact of the Prime Minister’s official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt.”