The world's political and business elite are gathering in the Swiss Alps this week amid deepening global uncertainty, and few appearances are being watched more closely than that of US President Donald Trump, who is set to return to the World Economic Forum for the first time in six years.
Trump will deliver a keynote address on Wednesday before hosting a high-level reception. Among those invited are seven of India's most influential business figures.
The Indian executives attending the reception are Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons; Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises; Srini Pallia, CEO of Wipro; Salil S Parekh, CEO of Infosys; Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv; Anish Shah, Group Chief Executive of the Mahindra Group; and Hari S. Bhartia, Founder and Co-Chairman of the Jubilant Bhartia Group.
The Indian CEOs' participation underscores the country's expanding role in the global economy as companies and governments reassess supply chains, technology partnerships, and investment flows in response to a rapidly changing international environment. With the United States and India in the middle of negotiations over a new trade framework, the strong Indian presence at Trump's Davos engagements is being closely watched by policymakers and investors alike.
Trump's return to Davos comes against a backdrop of intensifying geopolitical tensions. In recent weeks, Washington has launched a major military operation in Venezuela, deepening political instability in Latin America, while Trump's push to bring Greenland under US control has triggered sharp reactions across Europe and strained relations with several long-standing allies.
The US president has imposed 10% tariffs on eight European countries, including Denmark, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, and administration officials have signalled that these could be raised to 25% after European leaders publicly rejected his Greenland proposal. Trump has also openly criticised French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders, accusing them of undermining what he describes as a necessary reordering of global security and power arrangements.
Further adding to diplomatic unease, Trump recently shared a map on social media depicting Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela as part of the United States, a move that has been widely interpreted as reflecting a more assertive and confrontational vision of American power.
In his Davos speech, Trump is expected to argue that the world is entering a new phase in which traditional alliances, multilateral institutions, and long-established economic rules are being replaced by a more transactional and power-driven international system. His advisers say he will frame US actions as part of a broader effort to reshape the global order in Washington's favour.
For business leaders in Davos, the message is likely to be clear: geopolitics is no longer a background risk but a central force influencing markets, investment decisions, and corporate strategy.
