56th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

56th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

Why in News? 

The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum is taking place from 19–23 January 2026 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, bringing together nearly 3,000 leaders from government, business and civil society from over 130 countries to exchange ideas and address pressing global issues.

56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum

• Venue: The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is being held in Davos‑Klosters, Switzerland, one of Europe’s highest‑altitude towns. The meeting runs from 19–23 January 2026.
• Theme: The theme for 2026 Annual Meeting is “A Spirit of Dialogue”, underscoring the need for constructive engagement amid rising geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and rapid technological change.
• Agenda: The agenda at Davos 2026 spans a wide spectrum of global priorities:

• Geopolitical stability and cooperation, including security dialogues amid heightened global tensions.
• Economic resilience and growth, focusing on unlocking new sources of investment, trade partnerships, and sustainable development pathways.
• Innovation, technology and AI governance, exploring responsible deployment of emerging technologies.
• Climate and planetary boundaries, balancing growth with environmental sustainability.
• Social cohesion and inclusive policy frameworks involving labour, civil society, and youth perspectives.

• Global Participation: The 2026 WEF Annual Meeting is one of the largest in the forum’s history, with nearly 3,000 participants from over 130 countries participating. This includes roughly 400 senior political leaders, about 65 heads of state and government, leaders from G7 nations.
  • High‑level representatives of international organizations such as the United Nations, IMF, WHO, World Bank, and others are also participating. 
• India’s Participation: India’s presence at Davos 2026 is one of its most robust and multifaceted in recent years. Over 80 Indian CEOs, senior Union ministers, and leaders from at least 9 Indian states are part of the delegation.
  • States such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh are showcasing investment opportunities and sectoral plans. 
  • India’s pavilion theme “Partner with Bharat” highlights technology, capital attraction, and global partnerships as core priorities. 
  • Indian participation includes discussions on topics like India’s potential to become the world’s third‑largest economy, infrastructure, AI and technology collaboration, sustainability, and investment flows.

What is the World Economic Forum (WEF)?

• About: The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-profit organisation and premier platform for public-private cooperation, established to address urgent global challenges by convening leaders from government, business, academia, civil society, and international organisations. 
• Foundation: The WEF was founded in 1971 by Professor Klaus Schwab, a German economist and business policy expert at the University of Geneva. The Forum is legally constituted as a not-for-profit foundation under Swiss law.
• Headquarters: Its headquarters is present in Geneva, Switzerland, and additional offices in New York, San Francisco, Beijing, and Tokyo.
• Objectives: The core objective of the WEF is to “improve the state of the world through public-private cooperation” by providing a trusted platform. Its aims include promoting inclusive economic growth, fostering international cooperation, addressing environmental sustainability, advancing technology governance, and enhancing global social welfare. 
• Evolution: Originally named the European Management Forum, it was conceived to bring together European business leaders to share best practices. In 1987, it was renamed the World Economic Forum. Its scope now includes multistakeholder initiatives like the Reskilling Revolution and EDISON Alliance.
• Structure: The WEF is structured as an independent, impartial foundation guided by a Board of Trustees, which sets strategic direction and governance standards. 
  • Daily operations are led by a President and Managing Board supported by expert staff from nearly 100 countries.
  • Membership primarily consists of around 1,000 leading global companies that contribute financially and participate in programming. 
  • The Forum’s organisational framework includes ten specialised Centres that convene experts and stakeholders to research and foster cooperation.
• Functions: The WEF performs multiple core functions:

• Annual and Regional Meetings: High-level dialogues such as the Davos meeting that set global and sectoral agendas.
• Research & Publications: Influential reports like the Global Competitiveness Report, Global Risks Report, Global Gender Gap Report, Future of Jobs Report and Global Travel and Tourism Report.
• Initiatives & Communities: Long-term collaborations (e.g., workforce futures, AI governance) that mobilise multi-stakeholder action. Publish Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI). 
• Digital Platforms: Tools like Forum Live and Strategic Intelligence that enhance global engagement and foresight analytics.

Significance of the Annual Meeting of WEF for India

• Platform for Global Visibility: The Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum provides India with a high-visibility global platform to showcase its economic progress, policy reforms and growth potential, signifying its growing global stature and engagement on economic, technological.
• Economic Partnerships: WEF serves as a catalyst for foreign direct investment (FDI) into India. At the 2025 Annual Meeting, India secured investment commitments exceeding ₹20 lakh crore (≈US$231.5 billion) through MoUs across sectors like data centres, green energy and manufacturing.
• State-Led Economic Initiatives: The platform enables Indian states to promote their unique investment propositions directly to global stakeholders. For example, Maharashtra signed 61 MoUs worth ₹15.7 lakh crore, and Telangana attracted ₹1.79 lakh crore in investments, unlocking regional development opportunities.
• India’s Global Investment Ranking: Participation in Davos influences perceptions among global business leaders. According to the PwC Global CEO Survey at WEF 2025, India’s ranking improved from 9th to 5th among preferred investment destinations, joining the ranks of the US, UK, Germany and China. 
• International Linkages: India utilises the forum to highlight financial innovation and attract global capital, for instance through delegations like GIFT City participants who engage with global decision-makers to position India’s financial markets as competitive.