India at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (Source PTI)
Davos: Government officials attending the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, have sparked controversy after they signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with Indian leaders, CEOs and chairpersons, with people questioning their need to travel to the Alps to sign deals with Indian businesses.
According to the news agency ANI, a delegation of the Madhya Pradesh government, headed by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, met with JioStar officials to “discuss potential collaborations on video and audio documentation of tourism and travel projects, including for National Geographic.” The meeting’s goal was to showcase the scenic beauty of the state.
Although owned by the Walt Disney Company, JioStar, also known as JioHotstar, is an Indian media conglomerate joint venture between Reliance Industries, Disney India and Viacom18.
Additionally, Lodha Developers signed an MoU with the Maharashtra government, represented by the Chief Minister Davendra Fadnavis, during the WEF and committed to Rs 1 lakh crore investment to develop data centres in the state.
In September 2025, the India-based multinational real estate company had signed a similar agreement for Rs 30,000 crores with the state government for the same objective.
Maharashtra has signed 19 MoUs involving investment commitments worth Rs 14.5 lakh crore that will generate more than 15 lakh jobs on the first day alone.
Indian users did not take such developments well, with several pointing out that these massive agreements could have been signed on home ground.
“This looks like a pan-India joke at the expense of Indian taxpayers: Indian States signing deals with Indian companies, for work in India, but in Davos, Switzerland,” an X user, Karthik, posted.
Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad also criticised the Maharashtra government over the MoU it signed with Lodha Developers in Davos, saying the deal could have been signed at the government’s Sahaydri Guest House, the state Secretariat or the real estate company’s office.
“Like every year, this year too, a whole entourage has accompanied Chief Minister Fadnavis to Davos to sign MoUs, the majority of them with Indian companies. Last year, MoUs were signed with the Hirandanani and Raheja Groups in Davos, when both these firms are based in Mumbai. Why is the taxpayers’ money wasted this way?” she said.
Bihar-based media platform, Bihar Infra Tales, commented on the ongoing discussion, saying, “If Indian companies are already based and operating in India, what justifies Chief Ministers spending public money to go to Davos to sign MoUs? Especially when, in some cases, there are close family links to sitting cabinet ministers.”
Journalists also joined in the debate, accusing state leaders of using taxpayers’ money for attending the forum in Switzerland, calling it a “glorified paid holiday,” as Former NDTV presenter Sanket Upadhyay termed it.
Another user said, “Am I missing something? Why are Indian Government leaders going to Davos to sign MoUs with Indian businesses? Does the ink dry up whilst doing the same thing in India or is it just the snow and the weather? Haven’t figured this one out!”
The WEF is attended annually by world leaders from different sectors of government, business, academia and civil society to address global issues and engage in meaningful discussions.
From India, various Chief Ministers are attending the meeting in Davos, including Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav, Maharashtra CM Davendra Fadnavis, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa, who made the state’s debut at this year’s WEF.
Moreover, the forum is hosting about 800 CEOs and chairpersons, with WEF stating that nearly 100 unicorn founders and technology pioneers are taking part in both public and private meetings.
This post was last modified on January 20, 2026 4:50 pm