India’s growing economic influence was on full display at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, where the country emerged as a top investment destination backed by record foreign interest and state-level dealmaking. PwC’s 29th Annual Global CEO Survey ranked India as the world’s second-most attractive market for cross-border investments, alongside the UK and Germany, trailing only the United States. The survey highlighted that 77% of Indian CEOs expect strong domestic growth compared to 55% globally, reflecting sustained investor faith in India’s momentum.
The Indian delegation its largest ever featured representatives from ten states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, alongside four Union ministers and over 100 business leaders. Maharashtra alone secured over $50 billion in investment commitments on the opening day, led by major pledges from Sumitomo Realty, K Raheja Corp, and Alta Capital. Uttar Pradesh also landed a $25 billion agreement with AM Green Group to build a 1GW AI data centre in Greater Noida by 2030.
Global corporate leaders underscored India’s growing strategic role. Blackstone Chairman Stephen Schwarzman called India the firm’s top-performing market worldwide. Cisco’s Jeetu Patel cited India’s talent base and manufacturing strength as key to its expansion, while Schneider Electric CEO Gwenaelle Avice Huet and NTT Data CEO Abhijit Dubey detailed new investments in energy, data infrastructure, and technology innovation. Seven Indian CEOs, including Tata Sons’ N. Chandrasekaran and Infosys’ Salil Parekh, were invited to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the forum, marking India’s deepening alignment with global business leadership.
