(from left) Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, Bollywood actor and activist Bhumi Pednekar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are among India's representatives at Davos WEF summit 2026.
India's power-packed presence at Davos summit 2026: Who all are attending?
Many Union ministers and CMs join business leaders like Mukesh Ambani and other women achievers in Switzerland to showcase India as a top-growing economy
India was set to have a robust presence at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which kicked off in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday, January 19. Besides several Union ministers and chief ministers, and other ministers of various states, more than 100 chief executive officers of leading corporate houses headed to the Swiss alpine resort for the global assembly, where top world leaders would also be seen.
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The country’s political and business leaders are expected to make a strong pitch at the summit to lure global investments, showcasing India’s brisk progress as one of the planet’s top-growing economies.
Vaishnaw, Chouhan, Reddy among Union ministers
Among the Union leaders who would be present at the five-day event are Ashwini Vaishnaw, who heads the railways, information and broadcasting, and electronics and IT portfolios; Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the minister for agriculture and farmers’ welfare and rural development; Pralhad Joshi, minister of renewable energy and consumer affairs, food and public distribution; and K Ram Mohan Naidu, minister of civil aviation.
About WEF summit in Davos 2026
- The World Economic Forum's 56th Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, brings leaders from across geographies, industries and generations
- The five-day event between January 19 and 23 is themed 'A Spirit of Dialogue'
- Talks at the summit are based on 5 key global challenges: cooperation in a world marked by contests, finding new sources of growth, investing in people, responsibly deploying innovation, and building prosperity within planetary boundaries
- The latest edition will see nearly 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries coming together, including 400 top political leaders and 850 CEOs.
- Among world leaders attending the summit will be US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Chinese Vice President He Lifeng, and Argentinian President Javier Milei, among others.
- Top AI leaders including, Jensen Huang, Demis Hassabis and Satya Nadella, will also be present.
Six chief ministers head to Davos
The chief ministers who will be occupying chairs at the WEF meet to woo investments for their respective states are: Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra; N Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh; Revanth Reddy of Telangana; Mohan Yadav of Madhya Pradesh; Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam; and Hemant Soren of Jharkhand.
Also read: WEF | Telangana secures ₹1.79 lakh crore in investments at Davos
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi was also heading to the Swiss event, besides a delegation from Uttar Pradesh led by the state’s finance minister, Suresh Khanna. Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar was also preparing to fly but later cancelled his plans, citing official schedules in New Delhi and Bengaluru.
Top business leaders to attend, including Ambani
Among the corporate honchos from the country making themselves available in Davos are, among others, Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries; N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Group; Sanjiv Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Group; Sudarshan Venu, CEO of TVS Motor; and Anish Shah, CEO of Mahindra Group.
The names of Amitabh Chaudhry, Axis Bank MD; Nadir Godrej, chairman of Godrej Industries Group; Sajjan Jindal, chairman of JSW Group; Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha; Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder of Bharti Group; Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys; Salil S Parekh, CEO of Infosys; Rishad Premji, chairman of Wipro; and Prashant Ruia, Director of Essar Capital were also among the distinguished attendees from India.
Influencers and women leaders also to be seen
Besides the political and business leadership, those speaking for women's empowerment would also be present at the WEF meeting. One among them is Masoom Minawala Mehta, a content creator for more than a decade and a former CEO of an e-commerce start-up. Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekar, who is known for playing several roles for social betterment and working on climate change, would attend the show.
Also read: Karnataka power tussle: After meeting Rahul, DK Shivakumar cancels Davos trip
Women Inspiring Network’s second edition of the Win Lounge would also be seen in Davos as the country’s only independent platform at the Swiss venue.
Other women Indian leaders from diverse fields who would attend the Davos event are former Union minister Smriti Irani, Invest India’s Nivruti Rai, Vedanta’s Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Apollo Hospitals’ Sangita Reddy, and IXME’s Priti Rathi Gupta, among others.
WEF chief looks forward to India's presence
WEF President Borge Brende said he was looking forward to seeing India playing a leading role in this year’s conference. He was also keeping his fingers crossed for a US-India trade agreement announcement, particularly after the recent turmoil the ties between the two nations have seen.
This year’s WEF meet begins with the theme ‘Spirit of Dialogue’ amid worldwide economic uncertainties triggered by the US-engineered tariff turmoil and mounting geopolitical challenges.
All eyes will particularly be on US President Donald Trump, who would lead the largest American delegation ever at the WEF, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
(With agency inputs)