Davos 2026: Amit Kalyani maps risks, AI and defense bets amid anxiety
Davos 2026: Amit Kalyani maps risks, AI and defense bets amid anxiety
At Davos 2026, leaders confront geopolitics, tariffs and defence spending shifts as Amit Kalyani outlines Bharat Forge’s plan to seize AI, EV and defence opportunities for India.
Davos 2026 has opened with a noticeably different mood among global business leaders. Geopolitical risk, tariff tensions, and defence spending are at the forefront as boards recalibrate markets, supply chains, and investment priorities in an increasingly unstable world. Bharat Forge vice chairman and joint managing director Amit Kalyani described the shift as a palpable anxiety in the air, noting that the usual confidence associated with this gathering simply isn’t there this year. Executives are weighing where the next disruption might hit and how to adapt instead of simply chasing growth.
The mood is especially pronounced in Europe, which is facing its own stress test. Questions around defence spending, coupled with ongoing tariff tensions between Europe and the United States, are forcing leaders to rethink capital allocation and long-term commitments. Europe is wrestling with how to protect itself while financing a re-armament push, a scenario that redefines risk models for manufacturers and suppliers across the continent.
Against this backdrop, Bharat Forge is reshaping its strategy. The company is doubling down on opportunities in India while navigating Europe’s defence-linked realignment. At the same time, it looks to expand its defence and industrial portfolio and to manage manufacturing constraints in the United States. The approach signals a deliberate push to stay at the intersection of heavy manufacturing and evolving sectors like AI-enabled materials, EVs and hybrid technologies.
Kalyani points to robust growth opportunities in India’s infrastructure build-out and in global defence markets, even as the business shifts away from traditional auto components. The push into EVs and hybrids aligns with the broader energy transition and a drive toward digital manufacturing. Bharat Forge’s research and development priorities include advanced materials, digitalization, and AI-driven improvements to efficiency and resilience across its supply chain.
Policy support will be critical to sustaining momentum. In Davos, executives called for clear policy signals in the Union Budget to scale domestic manufacturing, maintain order momentum beyond 2025, and expand exports in high-value sectors. Even as sentiment remains cautious in the near term, many observers see India as a compelling manufacturing hub amid global realignments.
The takeaway for Davos attendees is clear: risks have risen, but so have opportunities for nations and companies that can adapt quickly. For Bharat Forge, resilience will come from investing in R&D, embracing AI and advanced materials, and capitalizing on Europe’s re-armament dynamics while leveraging India’s growth story to build a more diversified, future-ready business.
