World Economic Forum 2026 Day 2 LIVE: Gates and OpenAI team up for AI health push in African countries

Bill Gates during the annual Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum in Manhattan. File | Photo Credit: Reuters

Trump is expected to dominate the week-long gathering of global elites at the Swiss ski resort, putting the transatlantic alliance to the test with his push to take over the Danish autonomous territory

U.S. President Donald Trump descends on Davos for a showdown with European leaders Wednesday (January 21, 2026) as his bid to seize Greenland threatens to tear the transatlantic alliance apart.

Meanwhile, in a special address in Davos, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday (January 20, 2026) that the European Union is on the cusp of signing a historic trade agreement with India that is being called ‘the mother of all deals’, asserting it will create a market for 2 billion people or about one-fourth of the global GDP.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday (January 20, 2026) announced a strategic investment partnership with RMZ Group at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, involving the development of large-scale digital, mixed-use and industrial infrastructure across the State.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 is currently under way in Davos, Switzerland. 

January 21, 2026 11:15
AM Group Signs MoU with Uttar Pradesh Government to set up GW scale AI Compute Hub
AM Group, the leading energy transition platform backed by the founders of Greenko Group, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Invest UP, Government of Uttar Pradesh to establish a 1 GW (Gigawatt) High Performance Compute Hub to serve global AI workloads. AM Group Logo AMG will establish an AI Infrastructure hub in the Greater Noida region in Uttar Pradesh with a total investment of nearly $25 Billion.

The project will be developed in a phased manner with first capacity coming up in 2028 and full 1 GW capacity targeted to come up by 2030. This partnership underscores AM Group’s commitment to building a sustainable, carbon-neutral intelligent economy solutions and aligns with Uttar Pradesh’s vision to become India’s premier AI hub.
— PTI

January 21, 2026 11:08
World order in ‘midst of a rupture’, says Canada PM Carney
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Tuesday January 20, 2026 that the U.S.‑led global system of governance is enduring “a rupture,” defined by great power competition and a “fading” rules‑based order.

Mr. Carney delivered his stirring speech to political and financial elites at the World Economic Forum, a day before U.S. President Donald Trump was set to address the gathering in Davos, Switzerland. Since entering Canadian politics last year, Mr. Carney has repeatedly warned that the world was not going to return to a pre‑Trump normal

WEF 2026: World order in ‘midst of a rupture’, says Canada PM Carney

Canada’s PM Carney warns at Davos of a global governance rupture marked by power rivalry and diminishing rules-based order.

January 21, 2026 10:54
Gates and OpenAI team up for AI health push in African countries
The Gates Foundation and OpenAI are ‍setting up a $50 million partnership to help African countries use artificial intelligence ‌to improve their health systems.

The partnership, called Horizon1000, plans to work with African leaders to work out how best to use the technology, starting with Rwanda.

“In poorer countries with enormous health worker shortages and lack of health systems ⁠infrastructure, AI can be a gamechanger in expanding access to quality care,” said Gates in a blog ⁠post announcing the launch. He has repeatedly described AI as one of the most transformative technologies ‌ever developed.

The foundation has already set ‌up a number of AI initiatives, while Rwanda last ‍year established an AI health hub in Kigali.– Reuters

January 21, 2026 10:38
L’Oréal chooses Hyderabad to set up its first global tech hub
With an initial investment of ₹3,500 crore (€350 million) through 2030, the hub is set to become a global powerhouse, unleashing the potential of Data, AI, Generative AI, and Agentic AI, alongside emerging technologies.

L’Oréal hub in Hyderabad will create 2,000 highly skilled advanced tech jobs including AI specialists, tech engineers, and data scientists, and will accelerate the delivery of state-of-the-art, AI-powered beauty solutions at scale.This marks a major milestone in the 2026 India-France Year of Innovation, says Telangana CMO.–N. Ravi Kumar

January 21, 2026 10:33
“Hyderabad has grown into a global hub for global capability centres,” says Telangana CM
Hyderabad is being developed as India’s first city to operate 24 hours, with a focus on the night-time economy on both sides of the River Musi, says Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi at WEF Davos, takes part in dinner meeting with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and ministers from Telangana.

“We are building a new city – completely smart, future-ready, and India’s answer to the best in the world. It is called Bharat Future City, spread across over 30,000 acres, with more than 50% of the area reserved as green cover,” says Telangana CM.–N. Ravi Kumar

January 21, 2026 10:22
Adani Group sets out ₹6 lakh crore investment blueprint for India
The Adani Group outlined an investment blueprint of more than ₹6 lakh crore across aviation, clean energy, urban infrastructure, digital platforms and advanced manufacturing, signalling a new phase of large-scale private capital deployment aligned with India’s growth priorities.

Presenting its plans at the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, the conglomerate said the investments span Maharashtra, Assam and Jharkhand and reflect a strategic shift from standalone asset creation to integrated, technology-led infrastructure platforms.

WEF 2026: Adani Group sets out ₹6 lakh crore investment blueprint for India
Adani Group unveils ₹6 lakh crore investment plan for integrated infrastructure in India at WEF 2026, focusing on growth and sustainability.

— PTI

January 21, 2026 09:46
Investments in Telangana
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has mooted a follow-up meeting of the World Economic Forum every July in Hyderabad.

The proposal received unanimous support from global business leaders and policymakers during the “Join the Rise” event held in Davos, where Mr.Revanth Reddy is leading a delegation from Telangana for the third year consecutively.

One year is a very long time for follow-ups in modern business cycles and investment decision-making, Telangana Chief Minister said, emphasising the need for speed.–N. Ravi Kumar

January 21, 2026 09:41
Air Force One returns to Washington area due to minor electrical issue, White House says
President Donald Trump’s plane, Air Force One, is returning to Joint Base Andrews after departing for Switzerland on Tuesday (January 20, 2026) evening.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision to return was made after takeoff when the crew aboard Air Force One identified “a minor electrical issue” and, out of an abundance of caution, decided to turn around.

Trump will board another aircraft upon his return and continue on with his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos.– AP