Davos Day 1: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Step Up Global Investment Drive

The first day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos witnessed an aggressive and high-profile outreach by the two Telugu states, with Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu leading separate delegations to pitch their states as preferred global investment destinations. While Telangana focused strongly on AI, life sciences and deep-tech startup collaboration , Andhra Pradesh advanced its agenda in industrial manufacturing, energy storage, logistics and international trade partnerships , underlining a broader push by both states to accelerate growth through global capital, technology and jobs.

The Telangana delegation reached Switzerland via Zurich, where CM Revanth Reddy received a warm welcome from the Telangana diaspora . Telangana began Day 1 with meetings involving global business leaders and senior executives and hosted an exclusive investor engagement programme attended by CEOs and top executives of international companies . A central focus of Telangana’s Davos pitch was the state’s vision roadmap ‘Telangana Rising 2047’ , aimed at building a $3 trillion economy by 2047 and raising Telangana’s contribution to India’s GDP. Telangana used the Davos platform to present its investor-friendly ecosystem , long-term growth plan and policy push in sectors such as Life Sciences , Artificial Intelligence , IT , Electronics , Semiconductors , Aerospace , Green Technologies and advanced manufacturing.

A major Day 1 outcome for Telangana was the expansion of collaboration with the Israel Innovation Authority , with the delegation holding discussions with Chairman Alan Stoppel . The talks focused on partnerships in agriculture innovation , climate-tech and the startup ecosystem , including support for Telangana startups in AI , deep-tech healthtech , agritech , cybersecurity and aerospace , along with plans for AI-driven pilot programmes with Israeli startups. Telangana also showcased the rollout of the Telangana AI Innovation Hub and the state’s Life Sciences Policy 2.0 , positioning itself as a global destination for innovation-led industries. In addition, Telangana pushed its job pipeline agenda with a proposed partnership between Young India Skill University and Saudi firm Expertise , which indicated a requirement of nearly 5,000 skilled personnel every year , to be trained for plant maintenance areas such as petrochemicals , oil & gas , steel , cement and power generation .

Parallelly, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu used Day 1 at Davos to advance a high-impact industrial and global partnership agenda. In a key meeting with UAE Economy and Tourism Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri , the two sides discussed deepening economic cooperation, with the UAE agreeing to collaborate with Andhra Pradesh through the Dubai Food Cluster in the food processing sector. The UAE also assured support in encouraging around 40 UAE-based companies to begin operations in Andhra Pradesh—an announcement that signals strong inbound international interest. Andhra Pradesh also secured a major clean energy manufacturing project with ChemVolt Global , which signed an agreement to establish a 5 GWh lithium-ion cell gigafactory in the state with an estimated investment of ₹2,500 crore . The project is expected to strengthen domestic supply for clean mobility and grid-scale energy storage , generating around 1,500 direct jobs and over 4,000 indirect employment opportunities , with the first phase targeted for 2027 and full capacity expected by 2029 .

Naidu also positioned Andhra Pradesh’s geographical and infrastructure advantage through discussions on ports, logistics and multimodal connectivity , including proposals for a multi-modal logistics park , large port terminal expansion with global partners, and the use of advanced construction technologies for Amaravati. The Chief Minister said these partnerships would support his vision of transforming Andhra Pradesh into an international investment hub.

Overall, Davos Day 1 reflected a clear and complementary approach from the two Telugu states—Telangana pushing innovation, deep-tech partnerships and talent-led growth , and Andhra Pradesh securing momentum in manufacturing, infrastructure and global trade linkages —as both Chief Ministers sought to convert global engagements into investments, projects and employment.