WEF 2018: PM Narendra Modi arrives at Davos, meets Swiss President

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived here to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meet where he would share his vision for India's future engagements with the international community.

Modi, the first Indian prime minister to attend the summit in two decades, would deliver the opening plenary address at the summit tomorrow. 

Swiss President Alain Berset greeted Modi with a warm handshake in this town in the Swiss Alps before leading the Indian leader to the meeting.

He is also scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.

Earlier in a tweet, an external affairs ministry spokesperson said: "On his way to Davos, PM @narendramodi arrives in Zurich. First visit by Indian PM to #Davos in 20 years! PM would make a keynote speech at the Plenary of the #WorldEconomicForum, address International Business Council and interact with CEOs. #IndiaMeansBusiness."

Tomorrow, Modi would interact with global business community members, besides delivering his keynote address. The theme for this year's summit is 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World'. Later on Monday, Modi will meet with 60 CEOs of major global companies in a dinner reception.

The main event in Davos will be the keynote speech of Modi at the plenary session on Tuesday.

In his departure statement on Sunday, the prime minister had said that India's engagement with the outside world in the recent years has become "truly and effectively multi- dimensional covering the political, economic, people to people, security and other spheres".

"At Davos, I look forward to sharing my vision for India's future engagement with the international community," he had said.

More than 3,000 world leaders from business, politics, art, academia and civil society would be attending the 48th WEF annual meeting, where the Indian presence would be the largest ever with over 130 participants.

Modi will interact with 120 members of the International Business Council, which is a part of the WEF.

The Indian Prime Minister will also interact with CEOs of Indian companies separately.

Modi, in the course of his 24-hour visit to Davos, is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Tuesday.

Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to attend Davos meeting in about 20 years since H D Deve Gowda in 1997.