PM Modi to visit Davos for WEF 2018: 15 things you should know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the World Economic Forums Annual Meeting 2018 in Davos carries great significance in terms business opportunities. PM Modi will spread the word about India's progress and seek investment on the lines of India's 'Make in India' agenda. Take a look at 15 most important highlights of the world's biggest gathering.

1. Giant billboards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi - only Indian PM to attend the event after former PM HD Deve Gowda post 1997 - have already appeared in the resort town of Swiss alps town of Davos.
 
2. India will also host a welcome reception for the WEF members. Around 1,500 people who're expected to attend the event would get a taste of Indian cuisine, culture and heritage.

3. PM Modi will address the opening plenary session of the WEF in Davos on January 23. It will set the tone of the mega annual event, which is likely to host over 2,000 rich and powerful people from 190 countries.

4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his visit to the WEF, will stress on structural reforms carried out by his government to show India is ready for the world to accept it as a major investment destination.

5. PM Modi will also have a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset. Two leaders are expected to talk about mutual participation and commitment towards global initiatives.

6. Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, says the PM will also host a round table dinner on January 22 for 60 top CEOs, including 20 from India; Airbus, Hitachi, BAE Systems and IBM CEOs will be part of the meet.

7. Prime Minister Modi will also have an interaction with 120 members of the investor community at the WEF on January 23.

8. PM Modi will discuss India's investment readiness with giants like General Motors, Salesforce and Royal Dutch Shell, Nestle and JP Morgan.

9. Besides PM Narendra Modi, six Union Ministers - Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu, Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal, Jitendra Singh, MJ Akbar - will address several sessions during the four-day event.

10. Suresh Parbhu will have nine sessions, Dharmendra Pradhan five, Piyush Goyal (10), Jitendra Singh (three) and M J Akbar (two).

11. The five-day WEF Annual Meeting beginning on January 22 will host government heads, global organisations, and nearly 2,000 CEOs from top companies of the world. Around 400 sessions will be held.

12. This year's WEF - focused on theme 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World' - will see largest ever women participation (21 per cent).

13. Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan will be honoured with Crystal Award alongside Cate Blanchett and Elton John

14. Shahrukh Khan will also hold a session on 'women empowerment' and its significance for India.

15. The WEF will be chaired exclusively by women members, including IMF director Christine Lagarde and Mann Deshi Mahila Sahkari Foundation founder from India Chetna Sinha, Norwegian PM Erna Solberg, IBM chief Ginni Rometty, ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow, CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti and ENGIE Chief Executive Isabelle Kocher.