India remains a trustworthy partner with intact growth story, says Rajan Bharti Mittal at Davos

Davos [Switzerland], January 21 (ANI): India continues to emerge as a trustworthy partner in the global geopolitical landscape with its growth story remaining intact at six and a half to seven per cent, Rajan Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, told ANI.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mittal noted that India occupies a positive position as global entities seek to include the country in their international strategies. He highlighted that the nation is carving out a significant role in technology applications, chip manufacturing, and the expansion of data centers.
"India remains a country which people are saying is a trustworthy partner. I think that's a big thing in today's time," Mittal stated regarding India's status as a reliable partner. He observed that while it is early in the summit, the interest in India remains alive across various sectors.
Mittal pointed out that India now hosts the largest startup ecosystem and numerous Global Capability Centres (GCCs). According to Mittal, "India will play its own game" and will "create its own needs for AI and for application and for use."
On the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the telecommunications sector, Mittal emphasised that the technology is already being deployed to enhance consumer experience. As a consumer-oriented company, Bharti uses AI to address the challenge of unsolicited communications.
"We have started application on AI to really weed out all the spam calls, spam messages," Mittal said, explaining that millions of messages are removed by algorithms so the customer is not disturbed. He added that AI tools will be utilised for the "betterment of that, that the customer service, the customer requirements, the customer applications are best delivered."
Addressing the manufacturing landscape, Mittal identified pharmaceuticals, biosciences, space technologies, and defence as key areas taking shape in India. He noted that the ambition to become a global powerhouse for data centers necessitates a massive increase in power consumption.
In this context, he cited the importance of renewables and nuclear energy. Mittal welcomed recent legislative progress, expressing hope that "mini-nuclear power generators will start coming in" to support industrialisation and digitisation.
Regarding international trade, Mittal expressed optimism about the long-pending India-EU trade agreement, noting that "both sides are making the right voices" to move toward a conclusion. He suggested that such an agreement would allow for technology sharing and provide India with access to a large market.
On the prospect of a trade deal with the United States, Mittal maintained that any agreement must be a "win-win" position. He remarked that the Prime Minister is clear that a deal "cannot sacrifice areas like farmers, small manufacturers, and other areas where it gets compromised."
Looking ahead to the upcoming budget, Mittal anticipated a continuation of reforms and the further opening of sectors. While addressing concerns about private capital expenditure (capex), he noted that while some hesitation exists due to geopolitics, spending is already visible in certain sectors.
"Government is already spending. Private sectors will start spending, and there are sectors where the capexes are coming," Mittal said, concluding that while there is a need to "unleash much more," India remains on the right track. (ANI)