- Nadir Godrej noted India's strong presence at Davos 2026 with many states and startups attending
- He emphasized the need for global dialogue to address growing polarization and find common ground
- Godrej highlighted India's economic resilience despite geopolitical shocks and high tariffs
Nadir Godrej, CMD of Godrej Industries Ltd. and chairperson of Godrej Agrovet Ltd., hopes the World Economic Forum can still serve a bigger purpose.
In his conversation with NDTV Profit's Tamanna Inamdar from Davos 2026, Godrej said the strong India's presence this year was visible across the venue. "India's presence in Davos is really felt, and so many states' pavilions as well as the India pavilion," he said. He pointed out that it is not only large, well-known firms turning up, but also younger businesses. There are "established companies who have been coming to Davos for years and new companies who are coming now with startups and recently formed companies as well," he added, calling it "a very good sign for India and India's place in the world."
On what is dominating discussions at Davos, Godrej raised the issue of divisions globally. "I think polarisation in the world and dialogue is absolutely important," he said. "We need to find more and more middle ground, which can only be done through dialogue."
Also Read: Nadir Godrej Sees Steady Rural And Urban Demand Despite Rising Input Costs
Turning to India, when asked about the mood in corporate India ahead of the Union Budget and amid quarterly earnings. Godrej said the economy has shown resilience even through shocks. "Yes, I see a lot of resilience. We have had a lot of geo-political setbacks with high tariffs, etc.," he said. While tariffs have "caused pain to certain companies", he added, they "don't seem to have affected the Indian economy as a whole."
He also spoke about GST reforms, saying the early disruption has now given way to benefits. The rollout was "very troublesome in the very short run because of the changeover, but now the benefits of the GST reforms are taking in," he said.
Looking ahead, he hopes the Budget continues in the same direction, including reforms that support growth and ease of doing business. "We shouldn't be worried about the budget deficit, if it is calculated in a way to grow the economy," he said, adding that if growth stays strong, "debt to GDP can fall steadily".
When asked what reforms he expects, Godrej avoided naming specific taxes but explained the principle, "the kind of reforms that they did in the GST with lower taxes that actually increase the GST revenue and help to grow the economy," and more steps to improve 'ease of business'.
For consumer-facing businesses, he said the boost from GST should not be a one-off. "I think there will be a sustaining impact and it won't be just one time," he said. Growth may not return to the peak levels of the past, but he expects 'double-digit growth in the consumer product industry', helped by both urban and rural demand.
On global commodity prices, Godrej sounded relatively relaxed. "I don't see a very bad impact because food inflation has been quite low in India,” he said. With inflation low, he added, consumption should stay supported, and companies may be able “at least not [to] raise prices very fast."
Also Read: Davos 2026: India Isnt Losing The AI Race — Its Gaining A Bigger Opportunity, Says Investcorp's Rishi Kapoor
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