India in Davos: Union minister rules out trade talks at WEF; assures New Delhi's engagement on other fronts

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday clarified that while India remains engaged with major global powers, the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos is largely a platform for the exchange of ideas rather than a venue for formal group-to-group trade negotiations.

Responding to a query on whether India would hold meetings with the US delegation at the forum, Vaishnaw said, "The format of Davos is a format where we generally do panels and bilaterals. The trade meetings take place according to the country's own schedules and negotiations. They are deeply engaged with all the major economies on practically all fronts at this point in time. This is not the forum in which we meet delegation to delegation."




Vaishnaw also noted that India’s economic trajectory under PM Modi has emerged as a key point of discussion among global leaders gathered in Switzerland. He said the Indian delegation is actively participating in major meetings to outline how the country is leveraging modern technology while ensuring equitable growth for all its citizens.

The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum is being held from January 19 to 23, in Davos-Klosters, bringing together nearly 3,000 participants from more than 130 countries. The event has drawn a record presence of world leaders, chief executives, innovators and policymakers, and is being held under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue.”

Leaders from government, business, civil society and academia are convening at Davos to hold forward-looking discussions on global challenges and to set shared priorities, with an emphasis on the need for bold collective action.

India is also being highlighted at the forum as one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets. Union minister Pralhad Joshi has urged global investors to collaborate with India as it accelerates its clean energy expansion, positioning the country as a key partner in the global energy transition at the World Economic Forum 2026.