Sunil Bharti Mittal, who was among the Indian industrialists who met US President Donald Trump and his senior aides in Davos, said his key takeaway from the meeting was that one has to steer away from the noise amid the current global headwinds.
"The meeting with Trump was predictable. Everyone thought he would go off script, which he did," the Bharti Enterprises chairman said on Thursday, during an interaction with NDTV.
"I think there's too much noise, and as (US Treasury) Secretary (Scott) Bessent said: 'Don't react to noise. Keep your calm and things will get better'... In the end, the US is an important part of the world. It is a strong democracy, and also holds power," he said.
Also Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay
Commenting on the geopolitical jitters that were felt in the run-up to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mittal said one thing is clear that "the old world order has shifted". Europe has been "on a vacation for long", and Trump's recent moves have jolted the region.
-
Indian Markets Turning Corner After Two Tough Years, Says Sandeep Tandon -
NDTV Profit Ignite 2026: Experts See Opportunity In Equities, Stay Bullish For Long-Term -
Buy Right, Sit Tight Does Not Work for Individual Stocks, Says Dinshaw Irani -
'Worst Is Behind': Quant MF Sees Market Bottom, Flags 'Extreme Euphoria' In Midcaps -
India's Mutual Fund Industry Could Become A $1 Trillion Opportunity, Say Fund Managers -
'Foreign Investors Are Baraatis': Raamdeo Agrawal's Take On LTCG Tax -
Stay Invested Through Market Cycles: Raamdeo Agrawal at NDTV Profit Ignite -
Ramesh Damani Remains Bullish On India For Next 20-30 Years, Sees Bargains Amid Market Weakness -
CAS Came After A Long Consultation Process: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFIT IGNITE -
Aim To Cut FPI Onboarding Time From Mth To Five Days: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFI
India has dealt with the Trump administration in a better manner, according to Mittal. New Delhi's approach was "right, balanced and respectful", as it kept quiet while being proud of its own strength, he said. Europe, on the other hand, is facing consequences as "flattery can only get you so far", he added.
ALSO READ: Davos 2026: Martin Wolf Hails India's Rise Amid Global Upheaval, Calls Trump Tariffs 'Crazy'
The telecom tycoon also lauded the Indian government for its policies that catalysed the spread and usage of high-speed internet. "India's digital infrastructure has been tremendously set up. The 5G rollout was very fast," he said, adding that the government played a crucial role in ensuring the quick rollout.
Mittal also believes that the government is "right in its wisdom" to have three private players, along with the state-run BSNL. Bharti Airtel is one of the three private players in the sector, along with Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea (Vi).
Vi, which recently received a major AGR relief from the Centre, has its "pockets of strength", Mittal noted. However, the telco is behind by "several years and several billions of dollars". The government has done its job by providing the AGR relief, and its now up to the company to act, as per Mittal.
Mittal, during the interview, also pointed towards the importance of 6G for the telecom ecosystem. The technology would result in lower latency and significantly higher speeds, allowing machines to talk to each other. This will boost the usage of AI and robotics, he explained.
ALSO READ: Enterprises Ready To Scale AI Beyond Pilots, Says Wipro's Rishad Premji
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
