Hyderabad Inches Toward Hosting Prestigious World Economic Forum Annual Follow-Up Meeting
In a significant development for India's global economic engagement, Telangana has moved a step closer to hosting a major international economic dialogue outside the traditional Davos framework. World Economic Forum managing director Jeremy Jurgens has responded positively to chief minister A Revanth Reddy's proposal to establish Hyderabad as the venue for an annual WEF follow-up meeting.
Strategic Proposal for Sustained Global Engagement
The proposal was discussed during detailed meetings between Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and WEF leadership, including Jeremy Jurgens and Manju George, head of strategic impact and integration for the C4IR network. These discussions took place on the sidelines of WEF-2026 in Davos, marking a pivotal moment in Telangana's international economic diplomacy.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy proposed hosting the follow-up forum each year during July or August, strategically positioning it as a crucial platform to review, track, and advance discussions and decisions made during the annual January Davos meeting. The chief minister emphasized that with modern business cycles accelerating rapidly, the current one-year gap between WEF meetings proves insufficient for maintaining sustained global engagement and momentum.
Telangana's Compelling Pitch to World Economic Forum
"Seeing is believing. We would like to showcase the wonderful opportunities and resources our state can offer to the world. So, we are ready to host a WEF follow-up meet annually in Hyderabad," declared Chief Minister Revanth Reddy during the discussions. According to official statements from the chief minister's office, the WEF leadership responded positively to this proposal, despite receiving similar requests from multiple countries worldwide.
Jeremy Jurgens acknowledged the proposal's merit, stating, "We shall take this forward in the near future." He noted that while China already hosts the annual 'Summer Davos' and Saudi Arabia has demonstrated strong interest in WEF-linked engagements, Hyderabad's proposal presents a compelling new opportunity for the global organization.
Showcasing Telangana's Vision and Infrastructure
During the comprehensive meeting, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy presented the ambitious Telangana Rising-2047 vision, outlining a detailed roadmap and strategy aimed at transforming the state into a $3 trillion economy. This visionary plan served as the foundation for demonstrating Hyderabad's capacity to host significant international economic gatherings.
The discussions also reviewed the progress of C4IR Telangana (Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution), which was launched at BioAsia-2024 in Hyderabad as WEF's first thematic centre in India focused exclusively on healthcare and life sciences. This centre aims to drive health-tech innovation, policy development, and workforce skilling through strategic collaboration with industry and academia.
WEF Leadership's Enthusiastic Response
Jeremy Jurgens praised the launch of C4IR Telangana at BioAsia, describing it as "a positive role model for WEF's engagement in India." Referring to the chief minister's long-term vision, he emphasized that the multiple facets of the Telangana Rising plan open up extensive opportunities for mutual cooperation between WEF and the state government.
"We would like to partner in the Telangana Rising vision and be a part of the journey. Hyderabad has a great talent base," Jurgens remarked, highlighting the city's human resource advantages. The WEF managing director also discussed C4IR's ongoing research on best practices in planning industrial clusters and offered to share valuable insights and data with C4IR Telangana.
Comprehensive Presentation of Telangana's Economic Framework
Telangana minister D Sridhar Babu outlined the state's innovative economic development framework — 'CURE, PURE, RARE' — during the meeting. He briefed the WEF delegation about Bharat Future City, a net zero greenfield smart city envisioned as a national model for sustainable urban development, showcasing Telangana's commitment to futuristic planning.
Other delegation members, including minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, highlighted Hyderabad's established strengths in multiple sectors:
- Aerospace and defence industries
- Bio-design and pharmaceutical sectors
- Software and technology ecosystem
The delegation also emphasized the state government's focused initiatives in emerging areas:
- Electric mobility infrastructure development
- Renewable energy expansion projects
- Large-scale skilling initiatives through newly-launched advanced technology centres
- Establishment of Young India Skills University and Young India Sports University
This comprehensive presentation demonstrated Hyderabad's multifaceted readiness to host international economic dialogues while showcasing Telangana's progressive economic policies and infrastructure development. The positive response from WEF leadership marks a significant milestone in positioning Hyderabad as a potential global hub for economic discussions beyond the traditional Davos framework.
