US President Donald Trump is set to meet a select group of global business leaders — including several high-profile Indian corporate executives — on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos on Wednesday.
Trump, who is returning to Davos for the first time in six years, is scheduled to deliver a keynote address before hosting a closed-door, high-level reception later in the day. The 2026 Davos summit has drawn over 3,000 delegates from more than 130 countries, underlining its significance amid global economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
Among the Indian business leaders expected to attend Trump’s Davos reception are some of India’s most influential corporate figures, reflecting the country’s growing economic and strategic importance in global business discussions.
The invitee list includes:
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprises
Srini Pallia, CEO, Wipro
Salil S. Parekh, CEO, Infosys
Anish Shah, CEO, Mahindra Group
Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv
Hari S. Bhartia, Founder and Co-Chairman, Jubilant Bhartia Group
Their presence highlights strong interest from Indian industry in shaping future US-India economic ties.
India will be represented by more than 100 CEOs at the World Economic Forum this year. A key leadership group includes:
Mukesh Ambani – Chairman, Reliance Industries
Natarajan Chandrasekaran – Chairman, Tata Group
Sanjiv Bajaj – Chairman, Bajaj Group
Hari S Bhartia – Chairman, Jubilant Bhartia Group
Sudarshan Venu – CEO, TVS Motor
Anish Shah – CEO, Mahindra Group
Additional prominent Indian business figures attending include:
Amitabh Chaudhry – MD, Axis Bank
Nadir Godrej – Chairman, Godrej Industries Group
Sajjan Jindal – Chairman, JSW Group
Nikhil Kamath – Co-founder, Zerodha
Sunil Bharti Mittal – Founder, Bharti Group
Nandan Nilekani – Co-founder, Infosys
Salil S Parekh – CEO, Infosys
Rishad Premji – Chairman, Wipro
Prashant Ruia – CEO, Essar
Vijay Shekhar Sharma – Founder, Paytm
Sumant Sinha – CEO, ReNew
The timing of Trump’s engagement with Indian executives is significant. For over four months, Indian exporters have been grappling with a 50% tariff imposed by the Trump administration.
With tariffs still firmly in place, Indian business leaders are watching closely for any signals from Washington that could suggest a shift in US trade policy, particularly for sectors such as manufacturing, metals, auto components and chemicals.
The Davos meetings also coincide with major changes announced by the US Department of Homeland Security to the H-1B visa programme. The long-standing random lottery system has been replaced with a weighted selection process favouring higher-skilled and higher-paid workers.
Trump also imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas last year, significantly increasing the cost of overseas hiring.
India accounts for nearly 70 percent of H-1B visa users, making Indian professionals and companies the most affected by the changes. Software exporters such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro may now need to reassess talent deployment and hiring strategies in the US market.
The strong Indian presence at Trump’s Davos events is being closely monitored by policymakers on both sides. India and the United States are currently negotiating a new trade framework, and corporate leaders are keen to understand how future US policy could shape bilateral economic relations.
In his Davos address, Trump is expected to argue that the global order is entering a new phase, where traditional alliances, multilateral institutions and established economic rules are giving way to a more transactional and power-driven international system.
For Indian business leaders, the Davos meetings offer a rare opportunity to engage directly with US leadership at a time when trade, technology, immigration and geopolitics are becoming increasingly intertwined.