Bigger India
India sends powerful signal of ambitions on the world stage
India, the world’s largest democracy, presently has the world’s seventh largest economy
President Trump will attend the World Economic Forum this year, marking the first time an American president has joined the gathering in nearly 20 years. But there’s another leader of a major country who will stop in Davos for the first time in two decades. It’s Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister.
India’s interest in Davos is not new. For several years, the Indian government and private sector have made the annual gathering shindig a favored venue to promote the image of a new, more business-friendly India. In 2006, they spearheaded a grand “India Everywhere” campaign.
Still, when a head of government leads the delegation, the appearance carries more weight. Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Davos visit — the first for a Chinese head of state — kicked off a new international narrative about China’s global leadership ambitions. Perhaps that’s what inspired Modi’s decision to attend. Like China, the India of today seeks a larger place on the world stage.