WEF meet kicks off in Davos with Crystal Awards for Beckham, Furstenberg, Yamamoto

Davos (The Uttam Hindu): The 55th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting kicked off with the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age", at Davos in the Swiss Alps on Tuesday with three celebrities -- football legend David Beckham, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, and architect Riken Yamamoto -- being awarded the prestigious Crystal Awards in recognition of their contributions to social, environmental, and creative progress.

The awardees were facilitated for their efforts in advancing community regeneration, gender equality, children's rights, and other impactful causes. WEF President and CEO Borge Brende underscored the significance of the event and highlighted the global challenges and opportunities posed by geopolitical, geoeconomic, and technological shifts. Brende said in his welcome message that the meeting of 3,000 leaders from around the world and across the public and private sectors aims to help strengthen or build the collaboration needed for this unique moment.

"I look forward to the constructive dialogue that will take place in Davos this week, which I am confident will have an important impact on the year ahead, and beyond," Brende said. The high-level Indian delegation comprising union ministers and chief ministers of some states has reached Davos to participate in the five-day meeting that will continue till January 24. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who is leading the Indian team, said there was a lot of interest globally in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic policies, which would be the focus of discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

There would also be discussions about the digital transformation and the new digital architecture in India which has caught the attention of world leaders, he added. As the Founder and Chairperson of the Alliance for Global Good, former Union Minister Smriti Irani is set to play a pivotal role in advancing global conversations on equity, inclusion, and sustainable development. The programmes at the We-Lead Lounge organised by her “Alliance for Global Good” will engage with senior executives of Fortune 500 companies to establish boardroom diversity programs and leadership mentoring for emerging talent.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu will be showcasing investment opportunities in their respective states to world business leaders as they seek FDI from top multinational giants.