Davos is tilting decisively toward the United States, but Sir Martin Sorrell says India is emerging as the biggest strategic winner of a forum now shaped by American disruption.
Speaking with NDTV's Vishnu Som, Sir Martin Sorrell, executive chairman of S4 Capital and founder of WPP, described this year's World Economic Forum as "a very American dominated Davos," even as global companies quietly look beyond China and recalibrate toward India.
Despite the shadow of tariffs, Sorrell said India's economic momentum remains undimmed. He pointed to World Bank projections showing India as the fastest-growing major economy not just last year, but this year and next. "Seven, six and maybe they'll have to revise the number up," he said. "India is on fire."
Sorrell argued that India has become the most credible alternative to China in Asia for global capital. "If you have a big position in China and you're worried about being overindexed to China, India is the next best alternative," he said, even as tariff pressures and geopolitical constraints tighten.
India's rising confidence is also visible on the ground in Davos. Sorrell said Indian entrepreneurs are expanding their footprint across the forum. "They've always had a big presence in Davos, but particularly big now," he said, pointing to a more assertive and outward-looking business class.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with sharpening India's global image. "India is in an extremely strong position," Sorrell said, arguing Modi has done "a great job for Brand India," especially by positioning the country to balance competing power centres, much as other regional players do by splitting security and trade relationships.
Sorrell warned that Washington's harder edge risks pushing others closer to Beijing. He cited China's export performance since tariffs were imposed. "Post tariffs, they've expanded. They're at a record high," he said, adding that the US share of Chinese exports has fallen sharply, while Latin America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe have absorbed the growth. "Europe's the battleground," he said.
He added that pressure points, including Greenland and broader US strategy, could further drive European engagement with China. If America refuses to accept what he described as a possible G2 world, Sorrell warned, "the downside is it drives people away."
