WEF 2026: Madhya Pradesh govt holds talks with Tech Mahindra president on expanding IT, BPO in tier-2 cities

Davos [Switzerland], January 19 (ANI): The Government of Madhya Pradesh on Monday interacted with Harshul Asnani, president of Tech Mahindra, to look at entering the state of Madhya Pradesh with a focus on expanding in tier-2 cities to deepen access to talent.
The discussions centred on the BPO and IT segments, and the state highlighted its strengths in infrastructure, quality of life, and a skilled labour force.
A delegation from the Madhya Pradesh government also met with JioStar officials to explore collaborations on video and audio documentation of the state's tourism and travel projects, including a potential partnership with National Geographic.
The initiative aims to capture and showcase Madhya Pradesh's scenic beauty, including its wildlife sanctuaries, heritage sites, and natural landscapes like the Narmada River and marble rocks at Bhedaghat.
This collaboration could help promote the state's diverse attractions, such as Khajuraho, Sanchi, and its national parks like Kanha and Bandhavgarh, to a global audience.
Additionally, the Madhya Pradesh government held discussions with Alon Stopel, Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2026 to explore avenues for collaboration in technology-led economic growth, according to a press release.
According to the MP government, the interaction focused on Israel's innovation-driven development model, particularly across frontier areas such as quantum technologies, education technology, defence technologies, and water solutions. Stopel highlighted Israel's strong R&D ecosystem, underpinned by significant private-sector participation and co-investment models that align public support with commercial viability.
Madhya Pradesh expressed interest in building partnerships in the civil technology domain through structured government-to-government engagements, pilot projects, and startup-led demonstrations. Opportunities were discussed to leverage existing India-Israel cooperation frameworks, including joint pilots, technology demonstration initiatives, and co-investment mechanisms supporting startups and commercially viable enterprises.
Both sides noted the potential to explore a formal collaboration framework to facilitate technology pilots, innovation partnerships, and institutional linkages between Madhya Pradesh and Israel, the release said.
The MP government also held a strategic interaction with Herve Couraye, Advisor to TouchLab, on the sidelines of the forum to explore collaboration opportunities in artificial intelligence and emerging digital technologies, a press release said.
WEF 2026 operates under the theme 'A Spirit of Dialogue' to address geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty, and the annual meeting in Davos features record government participation, including about 400 political leaders and 65 heads of state. (ANI)