Davos 2026: Global tech giants keen to scale up India presence, says Ashwini Vaishnaw

India is increasingly being viewed as a critical market by global technology companies, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said on January 22, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

In a conversation with Moneycontrol, Vaishnaw said the sentiment among global industry leaders, from artificial intelligence firms and chipmakers to infrastructure and energy investors, has been “very positive”, with many looking to expand their footprint in the country.

“Practically every company or group we have met here is optimistic about India,” Vaishnaw said, adding that leading players across AI and semiconductors are keen to establish a significant presence. According to him, the interest reflects growing confidence in India’s talent base, policy direction and long-term growth prospects.

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The minister highlighted three key reasons driving this momentum. First, India’s scale of technical talent and ongoing research and development work have positioned the country as a major innovation hub. Second, global AI companies see India as central to the application and services layer, with partnerships aimed at delivering AI-driven solutions worldwide. Third, India’s semiconductor design ecosystem has already become deeply integrated into some of the world’s most advanced chips.

Vaishnaw noted that complex chip designs for global companies such as NVIDIA, Google, Intel and AMD are being developed in India, and that this capability is now being complemented by domestic manufacturing progress. He said industry participants have expressed satisfaction with the pace of development over the past four years, particularly as the country moves closer to commercial semiconductor production.

The minister also pointed to India’s broader full-stack approach to artificial intelligence, spanning models, infrastructure, chips, applications and energy. He said India’s focus on sovereign AI models, along with investments in custom silicon and data infrastructure, has strengthened its position among leading AI economies.

On the policy front, Vaishnaw reiterated that the government is preparing to notify rules under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, following extensive consultations with industry, regulators, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies.

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Vaishnaw said the global response at Davos reflects recognition of India’s rapid digital infrastructure rollout, including telecom expansion, semiconductor initiatives and technology reforms. According to him, this has reinforced India’s standing as a priority destination for global technology investments.