New Delhi: At the recently concluded World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar projected Bengaluru as India’s global gateway, highlighting its role as a preferred destination for international investors and innovators seeking scale, talent and ecosystem depth.
Shivakumar said that global leaders are now viewing India through the lens of Bengaluru, which hosts offices of a significant share of Fortune 500 companies and boasts one of the world’s deepest talent pools, particularly in information technology and emerging sectors.
During engagements at WEF 2026, the Karnataka delegation focused on practical dialogues around data centres, renewable energy, urban planning and next-generation industry clusters rather than signing headline MoUs on the summit’s sidelines. According to Shivakumar, the government’s conscious strategy was to invite investors to experience Bengaluru’s infrastructure and talent ecosystem firsthand before formal commitments are made.
Shivakumar also pointed to the state’s growing focus on tier-2 and tier-3 cities — advancing plans for new IT and AI hubs in Bidadi — to spread growth beyond Bengaluru’s core and retain regional talent, reflecting an integrated development strategy for Karnataka.
Noting lessons from his travels in Europe, he underscored the importance of modernising urban systems and announced that Karnataka is preparing a long-term urban mobility and infrastructure plan to sustain Bengaluru’s competitiveness.
Shivakumar also flagged the upcoming ‘Yes Bengaluru’ initiative, intended to accelerate ease of doing business and transform investor engagement when it is launched next month, positioning the city for deeper foreign participation in electronics, nanotechnology and green hydrogen sectors.
Bengaluru’s strong showing aligns with broader trends at Davos this year, where global executives have been actively scouting for scalable tech, AI and clean energy hubs in emerging markets — and India’s tech capital has stepped into this spotlight as a strategic investment destination rather than just a regional hub.
Shivakumar’s remarks in Davos — underpinned by Bengaluru’s growing stature as a global innovation and business gateway — reflect Karnataka’s intent to leverage the city’s deep talent ecosystem and infrastructure to catalyse long-term investment, both domestically and from foreign multinational corporations.