Davos Summit 2025: Scholz calls for 'cool heads', cautious optimism in face of Trump

"The United States is our closest ally outside Europe. And I will do everything in my power to ensure that it stays that way," Scholz said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"My first good conversations with President Trump and also the contacts between our advisers point in this direction," he added.

Infosys expects the way the tech industry manages talent to shift and has already begun experimenting with how this transformation will occur, its chief technology officer said in an interview Davos, Switzerland.

India's No.2 software services exporter is one of several IT companies that use the 'pyramid' model - where a company employs the highest number of staff at entry level, and fewer at each subsequent level.

This model, which allowed IT companies the scale they needed to become tech behemoths, could now change.

"I think see the talent model will undergo some change. What shape and form it comes (in), I think, that's something that we'll have to see," Infosys CTO Rafee Tarafdar told the Reuters Global Markets Forum.

"We are experimenting internally," he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting at Davos.

At least four companies from Kedaara Capital’s portfolio will tap the public markets to raise capital over the next 18-24 months, Manish Kejriwal, Managing Partner and Founder of the private equity firm, said while speaking to Moneycontrol at the World Economic Forum (WEF) happening in Davos. Read More

"Davos is aimed at making it clear that Andhra is back and we are ready to do business"

"We are chasing investors to look at Andhra Pradesh seriously in the energy sector"

"We are one nation at the end of the day"

A top Chinese official warned Tuesday that no country would emerge victorious from a trade war, in a speech to the Davos forum as Donald Trump returned to the White House.

"Protectionism leads nowhere, and there are no winners in a trade war," Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang said in a speech to the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps.

India is the fifth most preferred investment destination among global CEOs due to “regulatory complexity”, top PwC executives said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Read More

On the first day of his visit, Naidu met with ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India's Executive Chairman and CEO Aditya Mittal.

He highlighted the company’s landmark investment of Rs 1.4 lakh crore in a 17.8-million-ton integrated steel project in Anakapalli, calling it one of the largest greenfield projects in recent times.

The Chief Minister also plans to promote Andhra Pradesh’s investment potential and opportunities through interviews with prominent international media outlets.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that he plans to meet with several other prominent figures, including Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and UAE’s Economy Minister.

Additionally, Naidu is scheduled to meet with executives from major global companies, such as Welspun Chairman BK Goenka, LG Chem CEO Shin Hak-Cheol, Carlsberg CEO Jacob Aarup Andersen, and Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is set to hold up to 15 crucial meetings on the second day of his visit to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, according to officials.

These meetings will include high-level discussions with top global business executives and participation in roundtable conferences covering key topics such as green hydrogen, sustainable manufacturing, the next petrochemical hub, energy transmission, and the blue economy.

Bharat Forge is set to enter the semiconductor industry, focusing on niche markets spanning sectors like consumer, automotive, industrial, and high-end defense, according to joint managing director and vice chairman Amit Kalyani.

In an interview with Moneycontrol at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, Kalyani revealed that the company has been strategizing for the past year to enter the specialized business, a move that aims to benefit both the company and India. Learn more.

Axis Bank Managing Director and CEO Amitabh Chaudhry has cautioned that reducing interest rates alone may not be sufficient to accelerate India’s economic growth, which has been slowing over the past few quarters.

Speaking to Moneycontrol on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Chaudhry highlightde the need for additional measures to support the economy. His comments come ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) monetary policy committee meeting in early February, where a rate cut is widely anticipated by the industry. Read more.

David Beckham, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, was recognized for his dedication to improving children's lives and his advocacy for their rights, education, and well-being. He has been a long-time supporter of campaigns related to immunization and malaria prevention.

Diane von Furstenberg was honored for her philanthropic work and her advocacy for women's rights, including her contributions to the empowerment of women.

Architect Riken Yamamoto, also a 2024 Pritzker Prize laureate, received the award for his extraordinary contributions to architecture and societal impact.

On the opening evening, three prominent figures - football icon David Beckham, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, and architect Riken Yamamoto - were awarded the prestigious Crystal Awards in recognition of their contributions to social, environmental, and creative progress.

The awardees were celebrated for their efforts in advancing community regeneration, gender equality, children's rights, and other impactful causes.

Talking to Moneycontrol at World Economic Forum, Yoshua Bengio highlighted that programming might be one of the first jobs to be impacted by machines, though human programmers will still be needed to develop AI systems. He said, "Programming could be one of the first jobs that can be replaced by machines. We still need programmers to program the AI."

"We need to understand the science behind AI, how we can make AI safer, put guardrails etc, before we get to AGI, human level or beyond. I would encourage anybody who cares about our future, who wants to make sure that our children and grandchildren have future to put their minds and hearts into finding solutions to these problems in science and in policy."

Artificial intelligence pioneer Andrew Ng emphasised the importance of India focusing more on AI applications rather than solely on building foundational models.

“India has so many talented people, so many great companies—it has the resources to both train foundation models and build applications,” he said.

Details here.

As the Founder and Chairperson of the Alliance for Global Good, Smriti is set to play a pivotal role in advancing global conversations on equity, inclusion, and sustainable development. The programmes at the We-Lead Lounge organised by her “Alliance for Global Good” will serve as a cornerstone for impactful discussions. The lounge will host sessions on emerging technologies, sustainable practices, and leadership frameworks that prioritise inclusivity.

The agenda of team Smriti is to engage with senior executives of Fortune 500 companies to establish boardroom diversity programs and leadership mentoring for emerging talent.

More here.

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said there was a lot of interest globally in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic policies, which would be the focus of discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Vaishnaw, who is leading the Indian delegation at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting said there was a lot of interest in India's growth story among the international community, particularly about the digital transformation and the new digital architecture.

Axis Bank CEO and managing director Amitabh Chaudhry said that the freebies that the various state governments are doling out could have a detrimental effect on the country’s GDP growth and development.

Full coverage here.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra on Monday hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for Karnataka's absence at World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Karnataka is absent from WEF (World Economic Forum) 2025 in Davos, where other states like Maharashtra, AP, TN, and Telangana are pitching for global investments. Congress’s priorities are clear: freebies over future, stagnation over innovation," he alleged.

Communication platform Zoom is focused on India, with its core product of meetings being adopted very well in the country.

"We are very focused on India. Obviously, our core product of meetings has been adopted very well within India," said Aparna Bawa, Chief Operating Officer of Zoom, told Moneycontrol at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20.

India's advocacy for and pursuit of developmental templates where technology serves as a bridge rather than a barrier are highly relevant and the Forum is proud to act as its partner in shaping a more human-centric, planet-friendly and resilient future, the foreword of the report said.

"Over the past six years, C4IR India has emerged as a key hub for multistakeholder collaboration and has improved the lives of 1.25 million citizens through enhanced livelihoods and better access to healthcare. The centre has driven Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies across agriculture, health and aviation, setting a benchmark for transformative progress. As C4IR India continues to expand, it is now focusing on cutting-edge areas such as AI, climate tech, and space tech, with exciting potential for creating lasting value for society," Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director, World Economic Forum, said.