World Economic Forum

Most of the 36 participating economists expected inflation-adjusted incomes to fall or stagnate in nearly every geography with India and South-East Asia being the notable exceptions

India retained the 131st rank on the Global Gender Gap Index 2026 released by the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, with Iceland, Finland and Norway maintaining their top three slots respectively. Only 14 countries ranked below than India on the index of 145 countries. These include Papua New Guinea, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Mali, Algeria and Congo. Chad was the lowest-ranked country in the index, with Iran and Pakistan joining it in the bottom three. Geneva-based WEF said that nearly every economy tracked since 2006 by the index has advanced gender parity, but noted that full parity is still 120 years away. Globally, 69.2 per cent of the gender gap has now been closed, up by 0.4 percentage points over the last year, the WEF said. 100 per cent representing full parity. In India, the world's most populous country with approximately 1.5 billion people, the progress towards gender parity stood at 64.5 per cent, below the global average. While .

China's strong focus on self-reliance comes as concerns about tech sovereignty spread globally

Global energy transition readiness has declined for the first time in more than a decade amid a surge in geopolitical risks, but India has registered one of the strongest improvements, a new report showed on Thursday. Sweden, Finland and Denmark retained their top three positions globally on the World Economic Forum's Energy Transition Index 2026, while India advanced two places to rank 70th. "India was one of the strongest improvers globally in the Energy Transition Index 2026, recording one of the largest gains in transition readiness and strengthening its position as a key player in the next phase of the global energy transition," the WEF said. It attributed India's improvement to stronger energy transition readiness and broad-based system gains, driven by a sharp rise in infrastructure, alongside improvements in equity, sustainability and financial investment. The proportion of low-carbon jobs increased by 24 per cent in India in 2024, as renewable energy jobs reached 1.3 milli

Nine Indian startups, including Dhruva in the space business and Varaha in the climate arena, have made it to the World Economic Forum's latest list of new technology pioneers. Releasing the list, the WEF said these 100 early-stage startups from 23 countries are building the infrastructure for the next era of AI and are developing breakthrough technologies with the potential to transform industries and societies. "What sets this year's cohort apart is its focus on enabling the next era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). While recent advances have centred on models and consumer applications, many of the Tech Pioneers are building the software and physical infrastructure needed to AI at scale," the WEF said. The cohort also reflected the expanding geographies of frontier innovation. India has contributed nine companies, many focused on deep-tech and space innovation, while the Republic of Korea records its strongest representation to date across AI, robotics and quantum ...

The WEF said its decision "reflects a commitment to convening the meeting under conditions that ensure its full strategic impact," adding that it will provide a new date in due course

India will need to prioritise building its own foundational artificial intelligence (AI) models and strengthen data sovereignty safeguards to reduce dependence on foreign technologies, experts said.

The CEO role at the WEF is more an operational position, and separate from the high-profile chairman position that was long held by founder Klaus Schwab

As the rules-based order fractures, geopolitics, minerals and energy rivalries are reshaping climate action, trade, and the future of global cooperation

Trump's high-growth push - fuelled by stimulus, deregulation and rate cuts - may heat up the US economy but risks persistent inflation and financial instability

WEF 2026 highlighted AI's shift from hype to execution, India's rising global confidence, and the need for policy consistency, R&D investment, and trusted partnerships in a fragmenting world

From India's role in a changing global order to fertiliser reform, export ambitions and the EV supply chain, today's Best of BS Opinion brings together key editorials and columns.

Countries that aren't at the table are on the menu, says Mark Carney

At the power gathering of world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, the reflective shades worn by French President Emmanuel Macron captured attention in ways that words didn't. Hiding an unsightly but what Macron says is a benign medical issue with his right eye, the sunglasses bled into news feeds, triggered a jab from US President Donald Trump, and spawned memes and an AI-generated spoof of Macron as a fighter jet pilot, set to Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" track from the Tom Cruise blockbuster "Top Gun." "Those beautiful sunglasses," Trump said in his Davos address. "What the hell happened?" Here's what to know about the now famous shades and what they say about Macron and politics: The glasses The shades were made by a French firm, Henry Jullien, Macron's office told The Associated Press. They were its Pacific S 01 model, which don't come cheap, retailing for 659 euros (USD 775) on the manufacturer's website. It struggled with demand after Macron wore them for a hard-hitting speech

Davos leaders push back against Mark Carney's warning of a disintegrating world, stressing that global interdependence still anchors growth and trade

At Davos 2026, India moves from promise to partnership, positioning itself as a stable anchor for long-term global growth and investment

Nokia Corporation has expressed interest in establishing a Global Capability Centre (GCC) and additional research centres in Karnataka, Industries Minister M B Patil said. The telecommunications major, which has been associated with Karnataka for over 25 years and operates its largest global research centre in Bengaluru, discussed plans to expand operations across the state, including in Tier-2 cities. The discussions took place during meetings between senior Nokia officials and the state government on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos. Patil said the government has assured full support for Nokia's future expansion plans. The minister also reiterated the state government's commitment to supporting the World Economic Forum's 'Yes-BLR UpLink' initiative, which aims to develop the 'Yes Bengaluru' programme on sustainable urban development into a globally recognised platform for government-industry collaboration. Patil said the initiative was discussed in

Over the last four days, global leaders from across the world, including India, China, the United States, and Europe, gathered at the forum in Davos, Switzerland

During his engagements at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the value chain in critical minerals is complex and requires cooperation across multiple stages

Topics scheduled for discussion include protecting scientific freedom, the future of the internet, mental health, and geopolitical risk outlook for 2026, among others