WEF 2026: Unilever mulls setting up Global Capability Centre in Hyderabad

At the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, global FMCG major Unilever expressed its willingness to explore setting up a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad after a meeting with Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy's delegation.

Unilever Explores GCC in Hyderabad

The Global Fast-Moving Consumer Goods major, Unilever, is set to explore the possibilities of setting up of a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy-led 'Telangana Rising' delegation met Willem Uijen, Chief Supply Chain & Operations Officer of global consumer goods giant Unilever, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos on Tuesday.

The meeting deliberated on the global GMCG major, potentially setting up a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Telangana, an official statement by the Telangana government said. "The Chief Minister explained about Hyderabad's rapid transformation as a global hub for GCCs. Uijen said the company would be happy to explore the setting up of a GCC in Hyderabad," it said.

Minister D Sridhar Babu said Hyderabad is home to GCCs of several FMCG companies like McDonald's, Heineken and Costco. "Unilever is a prized partner of Telangana. Telangana is known for policy continuity and fast-paced approval and licensing process for businesses."

Sustainability and Manufacturing Opportunities

The delegation, including Minister D. Sridhar Babu and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, welcomed the company to explore fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturing in Telangana industrial parks. Discussions were also held on potential ways of aligning the company's climate, water-positive, and plastic-reduction commitments with Telangana's renewable energy, water stewardship, and circular-economy initiatives.

Royal Philips Eyes AI Partnership

The Telangana delegation also met the global leadership of renowned health tech company Royal Philips at Davos. As per the official statement, during the meeting, Jan Willem-Scheijgrond, Vice President and Global Head, Government and Public Affairs, Royal Philips, expressed interest in partnering with the state in the AI space.

The delegation explained to Willem-Scheijgrond about the newly launched, dedicated Telangana life sciences policy. With an ambitious target of building a USD 250 billion life sciences economy by 2030, the 'Telangana Next-Gen Life Sciences Policy 2026-2030' is extending benefits to medical electronics, among various other allied areas.

The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is being held from January 19 to 23, 2026, at Davos-Klosters, which is set to welcome nearly 3,000 participants from over 130 countries, including a record number of world leaders, CEOs, innovators and policymakers, under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue."

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