Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, C.R. Patil, Chirag Paswan, K. Ram Mohan Naidu, and Jayant Chaudhary, along with three Chief Ministers—Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrababu Naidu, and Revant Reddy—are set to participate in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, a renowned ski resort in Switzerland, next month. The event will run from January 20, 2025, and will attract hundreds of global government and business leaders.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu will be accompanied by his son and senior minister Nara Lokesh. Other notable attendees from India include Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Tamil Nadu Minister TRB Rajaa, and Uttar Pradesh Minister Suresh Khanna. Among the attendees is also actor Bhumi Pednekar, famous for her performances in films such as “Dum Laga Ke Haisha,” “Toilet: Ek Prem Katha,” and “Saand Ki Aankh.”

The meeting is expected to draw over 50 heads of state and government, alongside officials from major international organizations, including the United Nations, IMF, World Bank, Interpol, NATO, European Central Bank, and WTO. Senior ministers from Pakistan and Bangladesh will also be present, including Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser and interim government head, Muhammad Yunus.

Vaishnaw, who serves as the Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, participated in last year’s meeting alongside fellow ministers Smriti Irani and Hardeep Singh Puri. This year, he will be joined by Minister of Jal Shakti Patil, Minister of Food Processing Industries Paswan, Minister of Civil Aviation Naidu, and Minister of State for Skill Development and Education Chaudhary.

Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended the meeting in the past, his participation this year has not yet been confirmed. The overarching theme for the summit will be “collaboration for the intelligent age.”

This edition of the annual meeting will take place amid notable global transitions, including a change in U.S. leadership and ongoing geopolitical challenges, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia. Both Modi and Donald Trump attended the Forum for the first time as India’s and the U.S.’s leaders, respectively, in 2018. Modi, serving his third consecutive term since earlier this year, and Trump, preparing for his second term, are expected to be key discussion points at Davos.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu are seasoned attendees of the event, while Telangana Chief Minister Reddy participated in the 2024 meeting as well.

In addition to government representatives and civil society members, India’s presence will include executives from major business conglomerates like Reliance, Tata, Adani, Birla, Bharti, Mahindra, Godrej, Jindal, Bajaj, and Vedanta.

Notable figures like Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani will be there, along with next-generation leaders from their groups. Technology leaders like Salil Parekh from Infosys, Rishad Premji from Wipro, Sumant Sinha from ReNew, Vijay Shekhar Sharma from Paytm, and Adar Poonawalla from the Serum Institute are also expected to attend.

The Geneva-based WEF describes itself as an international organization for public-private cooperation and will convene its 55th annual meeting under the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.” This gathering aims to be a trusted global forum for dialogue, bringing together diverse stakeholders to navigate complex global challenges with a future-focused approach.

Several sessions will feature Indian leaders, including discussions on “India’s Economic Blueprint.” As one of the fastest-growing major economies, India has been achieving over 8% growth, spurred by initiatives promoting local innovation and startups in technology and manufacturing, moving away from traditional export-driven models. Leaders will explore how India can leverage this new strategy to sustain global growth.

The annual meeting will occur during a time of geo-economic fragmentation, geopolitical polarisation, and value-based divisions affecting societies globally. Concurrently, there is immense potential for productivity enhancement through exponential advancements in interconnected technologies—ranging from AI and quantum computing to energy tech, biotech, and health tech.

Reviving and reshaping growth is essential for developing more robust and resilient economies, and the meeting will address strategies for transcending fragmentation in favor of a collaborative, people-centered agenda for the Intelligent Age. Participants will also discuss how to foster collaborative innovation to navigate today’s low-growth, high-debt economic landscape and tackle shared challenges, including climate change and ethical AI use.