PTI
Davos
As the weather turned cloudy after four unusually sunny days in this Alpine resort town, the five-day annual meeting of the World Economic Forum ended on Friday with a caution against geopolitical conflicts, protectionism, mounting sovereign debt, misinformation, declining trust, risks from AI and economic gloom.
India offered a ray of hope, and its political and business leaders made a strong pitch for the world to do business in India and with India.
As many as 64 heads of state or government came here, with US President Donald Trump hogging the maximum limelight as he went on to deride almost everyone in his usual style. Leaders from other countries hit back, but mostly politely.
Trump, though, appeared to made some progress on his peace plans for Gaza and Ukraine. He met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said it was a “good meeting” and sent an emissary to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin with a message that the war must end.
On the Indian front, as many as ten states showcased themselves for investments and went on to announce investment commitments of crores of rupees, though some restrained themselves from announcing any numbers amid questions over the conversion of such MoUs into reality and criticism of even Indian companies signing such agreements in a foreign land.
Indian leaders associated with the ruling NDA alliance unanimously credited it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong leadership and economic policy, while others said it was the inherent strength of the country and its economy.
The WEF said it will also host a series of regional events to foster dialogue, trust and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Over the next 18 months, the Forum will host new events with the governments of Turkiye, Egypt and Panama, among others.
The Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in April this year, and it also announced a high-level event in spring 2027 in collaboration with the Government of South Africa.
