Eye On Business, PM Modi To Hardsell India At Davos

New Delhi: Signalling India's engagement with the rest of the world in a multi-dimensional way, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos later today. PM Modi will be the first Indian minister to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in over 20 years, the last one being HD Deve Gowda in 1997. PM Modi who will be in Davos for about 24 hours has a packed schedule. He is likely to hardsell India as an investment destination and pitch the country as a major driver of global economic growth. 

The prime minister's first engagement will be a meeting with Swiss President Alain Bersetand later this evening, after which PM Modi will attend a reception hosted by India at the Congress Center -- the main venue of the WEF. Nearly 1500 delegates are expected to take part in the event that will showcase India's achievements in the ease of doing business and the opportunities it offers for prospective investors. Participants will get a glimpse of India's rich culture and a taste of Indian cuisine. There will also be a live Yoga session for which two teachers have been roped in.

PM Modi will also host a roundtable dinner in which nearly 40 global industry bosses from 18 countries will take part. Some of them include Airbus CEO Dirk Hoke, Hitachi Chairman Hiroaki Nakanishi and WEF founder Professor Klaus Schwab. The dinner will also be attended by 20 Indian CEOs. These 60 companies have a cumulative market capital of $3.3 trillion.

On Tuesday, the prime minister will deliver a keynote address at the plenary session of the WEF. PM Modi has said he "looks forward to sharing my vision for India's future engagement with the international community". He will also interact with 120 members of the International Business Council, a group that is part of the WEF and includes top global business leaders. 

The Indian presence this year is the largest in the 48-year history of the WEF. Nearly 130 Indian CEOs will attend the annual event that will see over 2000 business leaders and 70 heads of state and governments. The Indian delegation, led by industry body Confederation of Indian industry, will have top industrialists like Mukesh Ambani, N Chandrasekaran, Gautam Adani, Azim Premji, Rahul Bajaj, Chanda Kochhar, Uday Kotak and Ajay Singh. Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and music legend Elton John will also be there. The theme of this year's meeting is 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World'.