Davos: Indian states used the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos to position themselves as complementary investment destinations, pitching sector-specific strengths while presenting India as a unified market for global capital.
At the World Economic Forum 2026, nine Indian states are participating under the India Pavilion, coordinated by the Confederation of Indian Industry, with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade leading the national pitch. Union ministers and chief ministers from multiple states are attending the meeting, signalling a coordinated federal push to attract investment.
The participating states—Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Jharkhand—are aligning their messaging around ease of doing business, digital approvals and infrastructure readiness, while highlighting distinct sectoral opportunities.
Union Minister Ashwini Vahsnaw with Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer, Meta, at Davos. (Photo courtesy: X@AshwiniVaishnaw)
Maharashtra, already India’s largest data centre market, is pitching itself as a global digital and maritime convergence hub. The state is highlighting its integrated ecosystem spanning ports, logistics, shipbuilding, renewable energy, green steel and digital infrastructure.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), on behalf of the Maharashtra government, has signed MoUs with various global companies for the development of the growth centre in Pen tehsil of the state's Raigad district.
"CM Devendra Fadnavis witnessed the signing of the MoU. Envisioned as the 'Third Mumbai', the project will emerge as a next-generation hub for technology, fintech, and data centres, and will host India’s first dedicated Global Capability Centre (GCC) district. On the occasion, CM Fadnavis extended an open invitation to global companies to consider the Raigad Pen Growth Centre as a premier business and investment destination," the CMO said. The list of companies includes those from South Korea, Switzerland, the US, Finland, India, the UAE, Singapore, and others.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the global industry now views Bharat as a dependable and strategic supply-chain partner, driven by the country’s rapid progress in building a complete semiconductor and artificial intelligence ecosystem.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Vaishnaw said Bharat is steadily building a full semiconductor ecosystem that covers every major segment of the value chain, including chip design, fabrication, packaging, materials, specialty gases and advanced equipment.
He said this integrated approach is helping India reduce dependence on imports while creating new opportunities for global collaboration. "Global industry sees Bharat as an increasingly reliable supply‑chain partner," Vaishnaw stated.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state’s engagement with global industry leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos has opened up promising avenues for future investment and collaboration.
In a post on social media platform X, the Chief Minister noted that over the last three days, he interacted with more than 20 leading business figures, exchanging views on how Assam offers a unique and competitive ecosystem across multiple verticals for enterprises to grow and thrive. He said the discussions reflected strong interest from global and domestic companies in Assam’s evolving economic landscape.
