CM to woo investors today on maiden Davos visit, eyes big deals

Bhopal: Aiming to tie-up bulk investment deals on his maiden visit to Davos for the World Economic Forum, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav will address a gathering of investors from across the globe on January 21, Wednesday. His address, according to an official release, will primarily focus on tapping into foreign investments to further boost the state's robust tourism industry.An official statement quoted the chief minister as saying, "We also want the investment to come to Madhya Pradesh in all sectors opening job opportunities for youth making the state economically strong," adding, "It is with the objective to bring investment to every sector- be it agriculture, organic farming and tourism, I am going to Davos."
Official government sources informed further that the state has been able to build ‘strong global identity' in tourism and will use the Davos platform to highlight investment opportunities across other sectors, including hospitality, destination development, film tourism and allied services. Sources cited tourist arrivals of more than 133 million in recent years as an indicator of Madhya Pradesh being the most-sought after destination. "Spiritual tourism remains the main sector to attract the investment and tourists," said sources adding that more than 65 million devotees have visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, while destinations such as Khajuraho, Sanchi, Orchha, Maheshwar, Amarkantak and Chitrakoot continue to draw domestic and international visitors," the press statement read. To attract private investment, the state is also banking on its Tourism Policy 2025 and Film Tourism Policy 2025,with officials saying that the film policy is helping Madhya Pradesh emerge as a preferred location for national and international productions, with the government projecting job creation for local artists, technicians and youth. Rural tourism is another upcoming attraction for investors and visitors, with the promise of homestays. According to the press release, more than 370 homestays have been developed across 81 villages, with a target of reaching 1,000, aimed at strengthening village economies and creating direct income opportunities. On connectivity, which often serves as a magnet from foreign investors, sources pointed to air links between cities such as Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Rewa, Singrauli and Khajuraho under the PM Tourism Air Service, along with a PM Tourism Heli Service to enable faster tourist movement. Google keen to invest in MP Global IT giant Google has evinced interest in investing in the state's IT sector, including IT-enabled services and data centre ecosystem, even before chief minister Mohan Yadav makes his inaugural address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) session in Davos on Wednesday.With Google keen to jump on the state's investment bandwagon and a series of investor meetings lined up at the Madhya Pradesh State Lounge, the government is going all out to position the heartland state as a destination for technology-led growth, green infrastructure and services-driven investment. Officials said the state delegation would use the Davos platform to hold sector-specific discussions with global and regional players, ranging from Big Tech and private equity to logistics and hospitality groups, with an emphasis on policy support, land availability, power reliability and project facilitation. On Tuesday, state officials met Sanjay Gupta, president (Asia Pacific), Google, at Davos to discuss investment opportunities in IT, ITES and existing as well as proposed data centre projects in the state. According to the state government, Gupta expressed keen interest in investing in Madhya Pradesh across these segments. The meeting was attended by state New and Renewable Energy Minister Rakesh Shukla, along with senior officials. Apart from core infrastructure and investment possibilities, the two sides also discussed the potential use of Google's Gemini AI for innovation and digital solutions in agriculture and education—two sectors where the state is seeking technology interventions for productivity, service delivery and learning outcomes. According to government officials, the state also highlighted its plan to formulate a green energy-based policy aimed at ensuring adequate and sustainable power supply for IT and data centre projects—an area that has become central to investment decisions as hyperscale and enterprise data centres look for stable electricity, renewable sourcing options and predictable tariffs. The delegation also presented Madhya Pradesh's pitch as an emerging technology hub, pointing to a supportive policy framework and a collaborative approach to project execution. Focus on food processing, manufacturing In another meeting at the Madhya Pradesh State Lounge, officials held discussions with Jayant Sinha, president of Everstone Group, on investment and industrial collaboration opportunities. The state showcased its presence in the automobile and EV ecosystem, pointing to emerging EV and automobile clusters around Indore, Ujjain and Bhopal, along with established capabilities in textiles and garments and a strong base in renewable energy.