Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead a delegation of ministers, chief ministers and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos from May 23 to 25, an official statement said on Friday.

“The event will further cement India’s position as an important and relevant stakeholder in shaping the global narrative, especially as India assumes the G20 summit in 2023,” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said. It added that the World Economic Forum (WEF) will also serve as a platform to view India as an attractive investment destination, given India’s strong economic growth and stable macroeconomic indicators.

The Indian government delegation will include Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Chief Ministers and senior ministers of six states – Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana.

It said several senior industry leaders including Hari S Bhartiya, Amit Kalyani, Rajan Bharti Mittal, Ronnie Screwvala and Salil S Parekh will also participate in the WEF deliberations. It also said the ministry had taken the initiative to consolidate India’s presence at the World Economic Forum to mark the 75th anniversary of the country’s independence and “Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. In addition to the Indian lounge, a country lounge has also been set up.

The India Lounge organises meetings according to the priorities of the Indian government, keeping in mind India’s strategic advantages, existing and upcoming incentive structures, industry investment potential and market opportunities.

Key topics covered during the session included policy and simple business reform, energy transformation, digital economy, opportunities in the national monetization pipeline, startups, talent growth in the digital space, healthcare ecosystem innovation and research.

Ahead of the visit, Goyal held a pre-departure briefing with the Indian delegation on Thursday. The Commerce Secretary will also visit the UK from 26-27 May 2022 to discuss progress and the way forward in negotiations with the UK government and businesses on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

At a summit between Indian and British prime ministers, the two leaders set the timetable for Diwali 2022 to finalize a free trade agreement between the two countries.