'India 2nd most popular investment destination'

NEW DELHI: After the US, India, along with Germany and the UK, has emerged as the second most popular destination for investment, a survey of global CEOs by PwC said Tuesday. Nearly 13% of global CEOs preferred India as an investment destination in 2026, up from 7% in 2025, with 35% identifying the US as the top pick (see graphic).

"Govt reforms - from GST unifying the national market to Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes - are strengthening India's investment climate," said the survey, released in Davos.




It also revealed that only 11% CEOs in India considered tariffs as a threat to growth, despite the Trump administration slapping an additional 50% tariff on Indian exports. While around 40% of Indian exports, including pharma and electronics, are currently outside the ambit of the levies, sectors such as textiles, leather and shrimps have faced some adverse impact, with companies now exploring other markets to ship their products, amid a rush of free trade agreements.

Besides, 77% of CEOs in India anticipated stronger growth in the domestic market, as compared to 55% global CEOs, who were optimistic about growth in their respective territories. Also, 57% of CEOs in India reported high confidence in near-term revenue growth for their own companies, nearly double that of their global counterparts. The survey also cautioned that 54% of CEOs in India, and 49% globally, said that employment at junior levels will fall in the next three years due to AI adoption.

Innovation-led diversification gains momentum in Indian firms as 57% of CEOs said their companies had entered at least one new sector over past five years. Among risks cited about growth, 30% CEOs listed macroeconomic volatility as the top risk, followed by cybersecurity (23%).