The Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) 2026, the 30th annual edition of one of theworld’s leading India-focused economic and business conferences, was held on January 10,2026, at The St. Regis Mumbai. Organized by students of The Wharton School, the full-dayforum brought together senior leaders from industry, finance, technology, government, andacademia to discuss India’s economic trajectory and global role.The conference opened with a keynote address by Anant Goenka, Vice Chairman of RPGGroup. In his address, Goenka highlighted Made in China 2025—a policy document released in2015 outlining a 10-year national vision—as one of the most significant strategic frameworksof modern times, noting how China executed it with discipline and consistency. Drawingparallels for India, he emphasized the need for a similarly clear long-term vision backed byspeed and accountability, with a focus on performance-driven execution, private sectorinvestment, increased R&D spending, quality manufacturing, and a robust national artificial intelligence strategy.
A fireside chat titled “Reading India’s Macro Signals: Growth, Cycles, and Capital” followed,featuring Ridham Desai, Managing Director and Head of Equity Research at Morgan StanleyIndia, in conversation with Aditya Joshi, Managing Partner and Head of India at Brookfield.The discussion focused on India’s growth cycles, capital flows, and macroeconomicindicators shaping long-term investor confidence.The forum also featured panel discussions on India’s competitiveness in artificial intelligence,venture capital and growth equity investment, private equity buyouts, and the energy andsustainability transition. Speakers from leading technology firms, investment funds, andpublic institutions shared perspectives on innovation, capital allocation, and sustainableeconomic development.The event concluded with a closing keynote by Utpal Sheth, Founder of Trust Group, whooutlined a five-principle investment framework focused on long-term value creation and investing in India’s future growth.Marking three decades of thought leadership, WIEF 2026 reaffirmed its position as a keyplatform for dialogue between India’s emerging leaders and the global business community,fostering ideas aimed at strengthening India’s innovation-driven economy
