India showcased its growing potential as a global economic powerhouse during the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, from January 20 to 24, 2025. With the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” the event highlighted priorities such as rebuilding trust, reimagining growth, investing in people, safeguarding the planet, and embracing industries of the intelligent age.
Distinguished leaders, including Sunil Kumar Gupta, Founder of SARC Associates and Indo European Business Forum, joined hands with industry stalwarts like Probir Roy, Co-Founder of Paymate, and Ashutosh Verma, Founder of Anvi, to drive key discussions with policymakers and corporate leaders. Meetings were held with prominent figures such as Hon’ble Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Kerala Chief Secretary Smt. Sarada Muraleedharan.
Highlighting India’s focus on emerging industries, Sunil Kumar Gupta emphasized, “The recognition of sunrise industries like e-sports, gaming, and events is essential to leverage the Indian youth market. These industries will be central to the GDP growth of states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.”
Probir Roy predicted significant growth in tech-driven sectors, saying, “When India doubles its GDP, I expect 20% of the incremental growth to come from gaming, e-sports, and payments—what I call Fast Moving Tech-Driven Businesses (FMBs).”
Maharashtra set new records with ₹6.25 lakh crore in investments through 31 MoUs, spanning defense, EV, steel, and fintech, establishing itself as a hub for new-age businesses. Uttar Pradesh also announced major partnerships, including a ₹2,500 crore investment from Coca-Cola and ₹1,000 crore from AB InBev.
Ashutosh Verma of Anvi underscored AI’s potential in financial inclusion, stating, “Using AI at scale, we aim to disrupt a $1.3 trillion informal lending market, bringing affordable credit to millions.”
India’s participation at WEF 2025 reinforced its commitment to fostering investment, innovation, and strategic growth across sectors, positioning itself as a leader in the global economic landscape.