Indian Economy Moves from ‘Emerging’ to ‘Pivotal’, Say Ministers at Davos
Leaders highlight India’s digitally enabled growth, resilient institutions, and role in global supply chains at WEF 2026
Davos, Jan 22: India has evolved over the last decade from an “emerging” economy to a pivotal player in the global economic order, driven by broad based growth, robust infrastructure, and digitally enabled public systems, according to young Indian ministers Harsh Sanghavi and K Rammohan Naidu.
Sanghavi, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, noted that India’s past label as an “emerging economy” no longer reflects its global significance. “India is pivotal pivotal to global growth, resilient supply chains, democratic stability, and the future of innovation, sustainability, and inclusive development,” he said.
Echoing this, Union Civil Aviation Minister Naidu said, “India is becoming essential to the global economic order, offering trust, scale, and innovation through stable institutions, diverse capabilities, and solutions that deliver value.”
Naidu emphasised that India’s transformation is digitally driven, citing platforms such as digital identity, real-time payments, and consent based data sharing, which have lowered transaction costs, formalised millions of businesses, empowered startups, and delivered inclusion as capability rather than charity. “India is no longer just a consumer market it is a digital global laboratory,” he added.
Industry leaders at the session, organised by CII and KPMG during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, also highlighted India’s dual growth in physical and digital infrastructure. KPMG International CEO Bill Thomas and India CEO Yezdi Nagporewalla noted that domestic consumption, manufacturing, and technological adoption, particularly AI, position India uniquely in the global landscape.
EXL Chairman Rohit Kapoor added, “India’s talent pool is being challenged to implement AI at a global scale, making the country a hub for technological innovation.”
The session also saw the launch of a CII-KPMG report titled Shift from Emerging to Pivotal: India in the New Geoeconomic Order, which underlines India’s inclusive growth, labour reforms, manufacturing expansion, and digital ecosystem as defining factors in its economic pivot.
