India at Davos: Investments, pandemic-ready infra on mind

After a gap of nearly two-and-a-half years, Swiss ski resort town Davos is set to host the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting yet again with a host of global leaders, including from India, expected to deliberate over the Ukraine crisis, climate change and a host of other issues affecting the world.

The high-profile annual powwow of the rich and powerful from across the world will begin with a welcome reception on Sunday evening and will continue till Thursday, May 26. Those scheduled to speak include Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

With nearly 100 chief executive officers (CEO) and more than a dozen government leaders here for a rare springtime annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, the Indian contingent at Davos is brimming with confidence about sharing their story of fighting the covid-19 pandemic and attracting more investments.

The government leaders and their associates are also confident that India will be able to tell the world that their approach towards the Ukraine crisis has been the most balanced, even as a vast majority of the world leaders who have congregated here are expected to take on Russia strongly for waging the war.

Several Indian CEOs and government leaders also feel that there is a strong need to focus on creating necessary infrastructure for fighting any future pandemic and also to effectively defeat the existing one.

Other key issues, they feel, which will dominate the fiveday event include climate change, crypto currencies, role of multilateral institutions and rising costs across the world.

Some are also of the view that the unfolding political situation in India in the run up to the general elections of 2024 and various state polls before that, as well as societal conflicts, and income and gender inequalities, would be of keen interest for the global leaders.