Exclusive | WEF's Borge Brende On India's Rise Amid Global Slowdown And Trade Challenges

In this exclusive conversation, Siddharth Zarabi, Group Editor of Business Today, and Rajdeep Sardesai, Consulting Editor of India Today, engage in a conversation with Børge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum, to discuss the 2025 Global Economic Outlook and India’s emerging role on the world stage. Amid rising protectionism, slowing global growth, and shifting trade dynamics, the WEF highlights significant challenges ahead for the global economy. However, India shines as a beacon of growth and opportunity, with its rapidly expanding GDP, youthful demographic dividend, and growing manufacturing and technology sectors.

Brende explores how India’s ongoing reforms, digital advancements, and trade diversification position it to become a US$10 trillion economy in the near future. The discussion also touches on the impact of artificial intelligence on productivity and employment, the importance of education and infrastructure investments, and the need for continued multilateral cooperation in a fragmented geopolitical landscape.

The conversation closes with reflections on future global risks, including pandemics and geopolitical tensions, and the role Davos 2026 will play in fostering dialogue among world leaders.

Watch this insightful discussion to understand the complexities shaping the global economy and India’s rising influence in the decades to come.