Davos/New Delhi: India is likely to emerge as the fastest-growing major economy in the world this year, potentially accounting for around 20 per cent of total global economic growth, World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende said in an interview at the annual Davos meeting.
Brende said fresh economic data suggests India’s growth trajectory is now strong enough to have a meaningful impact beyond its borders.
“I still think this year India will be the fastest growing of the large economies. And we have numbers now showing that India can maybe make up for 20 per cent of all the global growth,” he said.
“So India is not only growing for India — that growth is also contributing to everyone on our planet because it is so substantial,” the WEF chief added.
Hope for Modi–Trump Trade Agreement
Brende said India’s growth story could receive a further boost if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump are able to finalise a bilateral trade agreement.
“I do hope on top of this that we can get a trade agreement between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump. That will be helpful,” he said.
According to Brende, the optimism around India stems from the acceleration of economic reforms, which he described as faster and more decisive than expected.
“The Modi government made some concrete reforms that I did expect — but not so fast and so forcefully. That’s why I am also more bullish on the Indian economy,” he said.
Geopolitical Tensions Loom Over Davos
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Brende said this year’s Davos meeting is taking place amid unprecedented geopolitical turbulence, with conflicts and tensions stretching from Ukraine and Gaza to Iran, Yemen, Latin America, and Greenland.
Before the latest developments surrounding Greenland and tariff threats, Brende said global leaders were hopeful of constructive talks on ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine and moving forward with the second phase of Gaza’s reconstruction.
“And now this [Greenland] comes on top of it with tariffs,” he said, adding that Iran, Yemen and rising tensions in Latin America are also weighing heavily on the global agenda.
With around 65 heads of state and government attending — including six of the seven G7 leaders — Brende described the gathering as taking place during “interesting times, maybe too interesting times.”
He expressed hope that President Trump and European leaders would engage in dialogue and work towards easing tensions.
“The World Economic Forum is not a political organisation. We are an impartial platform, but it is available, and we do hope leaders will make progress and move the world forward together,” he said.
Artificial Intelligence: Opportunity and Risk
Brende also addressed the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, calling it a phenomenon that can be viewed as either “glass half full or half empty.”
On the positive side, he said new technologies — rather than trade alone — are now becoming the main drivers of global growth. AI, he noted, is already transforming research and development, especially in medicine.
“Research that could have taken 25 years can now maybe be done in five,” he said.
However, Brende warned of the darker side of AI, including its use in autonomous weapons, calling it a “scary picture.”
“The world has never been an easy place. And now it’s also harder to reach consensus on rules of the game and traffic rules,” he said.
Global Risks on the Rise
According to the WEF’s Global Risks Report 2026, geoeconomic confrontation has overtaken armed conflict and environmental threats as the top near-term global risk. Nearly 50 per cent of respondents expect a turbulent global environment between 2026 and 2028.
The 56th edition of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters has brought together nearly 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries, underscoring both the scale of global challenges and the urgency of cooperation.