WEF Davos 2026: Global leaders to convene amid economic uncertainty

The WEF Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos will host nearly 3,000 global leaders, including Donald Trump and Satya Nadella, from Jan 19-23. The summit focuses on dialogue and cooperation to address pressing economic and geopolitical challenges.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 is set to begin in Davos on January 19, bringing together an unprecedented gathering of global political leaders, corporate chiefs, and policymakers amid heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty. The five-day summit, which will run until January 23, is being held under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue", with a focus on cooperation in a contested world, innovation-led growth, and inclusive development. The summit aims to address pressing global economic, geopolitical, technological, and social challenges through collaborative discussion and strategic engagement.

Unprecedented Global Participation

According to the WEF, close to 3,000 leaders from more than 130 countries are expected to participate, marking one of the largest and highest-level assemblies in the forum's history. This includes around 400 senior political leaders, nearly 65 heads of state or government, and six leaders from the G7 group of advanced economies.

Political and International Leaders

Among the prominent government heads scheduled to address the summit is United States President Donald Trump, who will lead what has been described as the largest-ever US delegation to Davos. In addition to political leaders, the Forum's agenda will feature top officials from major international organisations, including Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund; and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, emphasising a broad multilateral focus.

Corporate and Industry Chiefs

On the corporate front, nearly 850 top chief executives, chairpersons, and founders from leading global companies will participate in discussions. Technology and industry leaders such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella are among the high-profile business heads expected at the summit, alongside executives from major financial institutions, energy firms and manufacturing giants.

Strong Indian Representation

India will be represented by a high-level political and business delegation, underlining the country's growing economic and strategic profile on the global stage. The Indian participation is expected to be led by senior Union ministers handling key portfolios such as commerce and industry, energy, digital infrastructure and external affairs, reflecting New Delhi's focus on investment promotion, technology-led growth and geopolitical engagement. Many state chief ministers have also confirmed their participation at the WEF, which includes chief ministers of states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh to name a few.

On the corporate side, India's presence will be anchored by some of its largest and most influential conglomerates and business leaders, including N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, Nandan Nilekani and Salil S. Parekh from Infosys, Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Enterprises, Anish Shah of the Mahindra Group and Sajjan Jindal of the JSW Group, alongside several other prominent CEOs and industry heads.

Forum's Agenda and Objectives

The Forum's programme also features experts in economics, science and civil society, providing multidimensional insight into complex issues such as artificial intelligence, climate change, global cooperation and economic resilience. The meeting will be livestreamed and accessible to global audiences through digital platforms.

The World Economic Forum has said that Davos 2026 will serve as a critical platform for dialogue and action at a time of rapid technological change, economic fragmentation and geopolitical tension, with leaders expected to outline strategies to drive sustainable growth and global cooperation in the years ahead. (ANI)

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