Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, engaged in high-level discussions with global industry leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. These interactions underscore the state's ambition to emerge as a premier hub for innovation, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology.

Fadnavis held talks with Carsten Knobel, Global CEO of Henkel, focusing on the company's sustainability initiatives. The conversation centred on Henkel's development of environmentally responsible products and potential investments in research and development within Maharashtra.

The Chief Minister welcomed Henkel's interest, emphasising the state government's commitment to fostering a world-class innovation ecosystem. He assured full support for multinational corporations seeking to establish advanced manufacturing and R&D facilities in Maharashtra.

In a separate significant meeting, Fadnavis discussed NVIDIA's expansion plans in India with company representatives. The talks highlighted partner-led data centre GPU deployments and support for India's sovereign AI initiatives.

Particular emphasis was placed on developing large language models (LLMs) supporting Indian languages. NVIDIA also expressed interest in establishing an office in Pune's Yerwada business district, which Fadnavis warmly supported.

The Chief Minister positioned Maharashtra as ideally suited for investments in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and digital infrastructure. He highlighted the state's robust ecosystem and proactive policy framework to attract global technology leaders.

Speaking exclusively to ANI at Davos, Fadnavis revealed ambitious plans for India's first "Innovation City" near Mumbai. The project, first proposed at last year's WEF under the AI and Innovation Ecosystem theme, has now progressed to the finalisation stage.

TATA Sons has committed approximately $11 billion (£8.6 billion) to develop this innovation city, including state-of-the-art data centre infrastructure. The Chief Minister noted that the location has been identified, with construction slated to commence within six to eight months.

"Our goal is to create a plug-and-play innovation system in Mumbai accessible to global innovators," Fadnavis stated. The announcement at Davos attracted serious interest from international investors keen to participate in this landmark project.

The Innovation City represents a strategic vision to position Mumbai as a global innovation epicentre. Fadnavis credited discussions with Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran for securing the substantial investment commitment.

Beyond technology, Fadnavis engaged in discussions on energy transition through the International Solar Alliance. These conversations involved ministers from Zimbabwe and Indian Union ministers, focusing on sustainable energy solutions.

Maharashtra has also signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Indian and Russian companies to construct Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). This nuclear energy initiative for smaller clusters was enabled by the recent passage of the SHANTI bill in Parliament.

The Davos engagements align with India's comprehensive AI strategy outlined by Union Minister of Electronics Ashwini Vaishnaw. The minister emphasised India's methodical approach across all five layers of the AI ecosystem.

Vaishnaw detailed these layers: applications, models, chips/semiconductors, infrastructure/data centres, and energy. He noted global recognition of India's systematic development across this comprehensive framework.

The minister highlighted a paradigm shift in AI economics during the Fifth Industrial Revolution. He argued that future returns will come from cost-effective, scalable solutions rather than expensive "brute-force" computing approaches.

Challenging conventional wisdom, Vaishnaw stated that "nearly 95 per cent of AI work can be accomplished using 20-50 billion parameter models." This democratises AI development beyond big tech's resource-intensive models.

Maharashtra's proactive engagements at WEF 2026 signal its determination to lead India's technology revolution. The Innovation City project, coupled with global partnerships, positions the state at the forefront of AI, semiconductors, and sustainable innovation.

These developments come as Maharashtra continues to attract significant foreign direct investment. The state maintains an impressive 75% MoU conversion rate, demonstrating its execution capability.

Fadnavis's Davos diplomacy reinforces Maharashtra's reputation as India's investment destination of choice. The convergence of global technology leaders, substantial private investment, and supportive government policies creates a compelling innovation ecosystem.

Based On ANI Report