WEF 2026: Indian states step up pitch to woo global investors in Davos

• Ten Indian states attend WEF 2026 in Davos to attract global investors
• States unite at India Pavilion, some making their debut.
• Tamil Nadu opted out; leaders from Maharashtra, Telangana, Assam, Jharkhand attended

Did our AI summary help?

As many as 10 Indian states - Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala - are in Davos this week to court global investors at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting 2026, taking India’s competitive federalism to the world stage.

The 56th edition of the WEF annual meeting is being held in Davos from January 19 to 23 under the theme ‘A Spirit of Dialogue’, bringing together global leaders from government, business, civil society and academia.

However, states such as Tamil Nadu have opted out of this year’s Davos meet.

Maharashtra is being represented by a state-level delegation led by CM Devendra Fadnavis. In Karnataka, CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar are not attending the summit. While Siddaramaiah is engaged in preparations for the state budget, Shivakumar has cancelled his Davos visit citing official commitments in New Delhi and Bengaluru, including meetings related to the Assam Assembly elections and a state-wide campaign against the Centre over MNREGA. Karnataka’s delegation is being led by Minister for Large and Medium Industries MB Patil.

Andhra Pradesh delegation is led by CM N Chandrababu Naidu and includes HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Industries Minister TG Bharath.

Telangana is showcasing its long-term growth vision and investor-friendly ecosystem at Davos, with CM A Revanth Reddy leading a high-level delegation. Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav is expected to pitch the state as an emerging investment destination, highlighting opportunities across sectors.

For the first time, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is participating in the WEF annual meeting, aiming to enhance the state’s global visibility and attract international investment. Jharkhand is also making its debut at Davos, with CM Hemant Soren leading an 11-member delegation, coinciding with 25 years of the state’s formation.

Kerala, meanwhile, is positioning itself as a destination for sustainable and high-tech industries, with a delegation led by Industries Minister P Rajeev.

Uttar Pradesh is likely to be represented by Finance Minister Suresh Khanna and Industries Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’, along with officials from Invest UP. A high-level delegation from Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) will engage with global business leaders, investors and policymakers.

At the national level, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is participating to promote India as an investment destination, while the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is acting as the nodal agency coordinating activities at the India Pavilion.