By Malavika Kaur Makol and Muneeza Naqvi

Asia’s richest man Gautam Adani is big on India’s growth and believes the country, given its large middle class and young population, will add $1 trillion in GDP every 12 to 18 months over the next decade.

“This century belongs to India,” Adani said in an interview with local news channel India Today late Wednesday. The first-generation entrepreneur also sees the South Asian nation becoming an exporter of green hydrogen, adding that a production-linked government stimulus plan makes the business viable and attractive.

Adani has been on an acquisition spree for the past year, buying assets in cement, media and a port in Israel. He was Asia’s busiest dealmaker that year, adding at least $40 billion in wealth while expanding his empire. This happens even when billionaires have lost money elsewhere.

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However, the breakneck speed of expansion has raised eyebrows, with analysts highlighting the increased leverage and financial complexities that come with asset haul.

“Over the past nine years, our profit has grown twice as fast as our debt,” Adani said in the interview. “As a result, our debt-to-Ebitda ratio has fallen from 7.6 to 3.2, which is very healthy for a large group where most companies are in infrastructure.”

Adani also said that New Delhi Television Ltd., its most recent acquisition, would remain editorially independent. The deal had fueled concerns about silencing media freedom, as NDTV is said to be one of the few news outlets relatively critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Adani has often dovetailed its corporate strategy with the Modi government’s nation-building initiatives and priorities.

“I would like to say that categorically about editorial independence NDTV will be a credible, independent global network,” Adani said during the interview.