Zurich [Switzerland], January 19 (ANI): India’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Mridul Kumar, met World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at Zurich Airport as he arrived to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos.
In a post on X, the Indian mission said, “A pleasant meeting at Zurich Airport today while receiving Indian dignitaries! Amb Kumar had the opportunity to meet Mr. Ajay Banga, President of @WorldBank, arriving for WEF Annual Meeting in Davos.” The mission noted that the brief interaction also touched upon India’s development agenda and cooperation with the World Bank, describing it as a “brief but warm exchange on India’s development priorities & our partnership with the World Bank.”
The meeting coincides with the start of the WEF Annual Meeting 2026, held under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue,” amid slowing global growth, geopolitical frictions, rapid technological change, and growing concerns around rebuilding trust between nations. The five-day summit brings together heads of state, ministers, central bankers, chief executives, entrepreneurs, academics, and civil society leaders to discuss global economic, technological, climate, and governance challenges.
For India, Davos remains a key platform to highlight reform momentum, policy stability, and openness to global investment, with this year’s delegation featuring strong political and corporate representation. India’s delegation includes four Union ministers—Ashwini Vaishnaw, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Pralhad Joshi, and K Rammohan Naidu—reflecting India’s focus on infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, and digital transformation.
Six chief ministers are also attending to present state-level investment opportunities: Devendra Fadnavis (Maharashtra), N. Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), Mohan Yadav (Madhya Pradesh), A. Revanth Reddy (Telangana), and Hemant Soren (Jharkhand). The participation of Assam and Jharkhand highlights eastern India’s efforts to showcase fast-growing state economies, mineral wealth, and industrial potential. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and senior delegations from Uttar Pradesh and Kerala are also attending.
On the corporate side, India has sent one of its largest business delegations to Davos, with over 100 senior leaders from banking, technology, manufacturing, start-up, and renewable energy sectors. Key participants include Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries), N. Chandrasekaran (Tata Group), Sanjiv Bajaj (Bajaj Group), Hari S. Bhartia (Jubilant Bhartia Group), Sudarshan Venu (TVS Motor), and Anish Shah (Mahindra Group). Other notable attendees include Amitabh Chaudhry (Axis Bank), Nadir Godrej (Godrej Industries), Sajjan Jindal (JSW Group), Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha), Sunil Bharti Mittal (Bharti Group), Nandan Nilekani and Salil S. Parekh (Infosys), Rishad Premji (Wipro), Prashant Ruia (Essar), Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Paytm), and Sumant Sinha (ReNew).
India’s key message at WEF 2026 is that it is “open for business,” aiming to attract global partnerships and strengthen its position in international value chains. The focus areas include manufacturing and supply chain diversification, infrastructure expansion, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, clean energy and energy transition, and long-term capital flows. The push is centered on sustaining investor confidence, strengthening engagement, and converting interest into long-term investments.
More than 3,000 global leaders are attending the 56th annual WEF meeting in Davos. (ANI)
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