Indian policymakers, industry leaders to discuss sustainability execution at WEF Davos

Senior policymakers, industry leaders and institutional investors will participate in a roundtable discussion on sustainable development on the second day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos. The session is being organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and will bring together government representatives and corporate decision-makers to examine how sustainability objectives can be operationalised across the real economy.

Participants at the meeting will include Union minister Pralhad Joshi, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, Gujarat deputy chief minister Harsh Rameshkumar Sanghavi, along with chief executives from Indian and global companies, policy experts and institutional investors. According to officials, the discussion will centre on practical approaches to integrating sustainable development goals into business models and public policy frameworks amid shifting global economic and environmental conditions.

The roundtable is expected to assess how governments and businesses can align policies, investments and operational strategies to support sustainable growth. With global sustainability targets entering a critical phase, the focus has increasingly moved from defining ambitious goals to ensuring their effective execution across sectors without undermining economic competitiveness or productivity.

Officials noted that accelerating changes related to climate risks, resource constraints and rapid technological adoption have added urgency to coordinated action. These developments have underscored the need for closer collaboration among governments, industry and investors to embed sustainability considerations into core economic activities, rather than treating them as standalone or compliance-driven initiatives.

Key areas of discussion will include energy transition pathways, infrastructure development, manufacturing processes, technology deployment and human resource development. The session will also examine the importance of policy coherence across jurisdictions, the role of leadership and management in implementation, and strategies for operating in an increasingly fragmented global environment while creating long-term economic value.

A significant portion of the discussion will focus on moving beyond pilot projects to large-scale implementation of sustainable solutions. Participants are expected to share perspectives on how proven models can be scaled up, how public and private sector efforts can be better coordinated, and how sustainability initiatives can be integrated with productivity improvements and operational efficiency.

The CII-led session aims to provide a practical understanding of how sustainability can be mainstreamed across sectors through policy alignment and execution-focused frameworks. By bringing together policymakers and industry leaders, the roundtable is intended to facilitate dialogue on balancing economic growth objectives with environmental and social considerations, particularly in emerging market contexts.

India’s engagement at the WEF this year includes a series of meetings and discussions focused on investment promotion, innovation and sustainable development. In previous editions, both the central government and state governments have used the Davos platform to outline policy reforms, highlight investment opportunities and present long-term development strategies to global stakeholders.

Officials said insights from the roundtable are expected to feed into ongoing policy and industry deliberations on sustainable growth, especially as emerging economies navigate global economic uncertainty, supply chain realignments and climate-related challenges.