The Bloomberg New Economy Forum announced its initial list of confirmed speakers for its eighth edition, scheduled to take place in New Delhi from October 13 to October 15, 2026, according to a press release.
Organized under the theme “A World in Play: Defining the New Levers of Power,” the invitation-only event will bring together more than 500 influential public and private sector leaders from across the globe. Attendees will include current and former heads of state, central bank governors, Fortune 100 CEOs, sovereign investors, technology founders, and critical infrastructure operators.
The forum’s program will focus on how geopolitical realignments, technological advancements, energy transitions, and evolving supply chains are reshaping the global economy.
Indian Leadership and Global Participation
Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, will lead the Indian government delegation at the forum. He will be joined by senior cabinet ministers, including Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs; Dr. S. Jaishankar, Union Minister of External Affairs; Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry; Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, New & Renewable Energy and Education; Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology; and Shri Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Science and Technology.
Key global business leaders, advisors, and South Asian executives from across the diaspora and multinational sector confirmed to attend include Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg L.P. & Bloomberg Philanthropies; Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group; Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons; Abhijit Dubey, President, CEO & Chief AI Officer at NTT Data; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Founder & Executive Chairperson of Biocon Ltd.; Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group; Salil Parekh, CEO of Infosys; Rishi Sunak, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; and Noubar Afeyan, Co-Founder & Chairman of Moderna.
Other prominent international delegates include Mario Draghi, Former Prime Minister of Italy; Gina Raimondo, Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce; Robert Goldstein, Chief Operating Officer at BlackRock; Jonathan Gray, President & Chief Operating Officer at Blackstone; Mohamed Kande, Global Chairman of PwC; and Christopher Waller, Member of the Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve.
Shaping Global Economic Policy
Reflecting on India’s role in the global economy, Karen Saltser, CEO of Bloomberg Media, noted the significance of host country capabilities.
“India occupies a position of great consequence in the global economy,” Saltser said in the press release. “Government and industry have worked together to build capacities the world can rely on, making India a place where innovation, capital, and ideas converge at the highest levels. As the center of gravity in global affairs continues to shift, this New Economy Forum will reflect the optimism and the responsibility that India carries forward.”
Addressing the economic backdrop of the upcoming conference, Erik Schatzker, Editorial Director of Bloomberg New Economy, emphasized the changing nature of international markets.
“The global economy has entered a fractious new chapter, one increasingly defined by competition for control of resources, trade and technology,” Schatzker stated in the release. “Governments and companies alike are navigating pressures that didn’t exist only a few years ago. The 2026 Bloomberg New Economy program is built for precisely this moment, confronting the divisions that make dialogue both harder and more necessary.”
Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, highlighted India’s economic framework and commitment to international collaboration.
“In a world navigating geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological transformation and the growing need for sustainable growth, prosperity can no longer be built in isolation,” Goyal said. “It must rest on mutual trust, open and fair markets, and innovation-driven collaboration. Guided by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat@2047’ and deeper international economic cooperation, India remains committed to shaping a secure, future-ready world economy. As New Delhi hosts the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, we have a timely opportunity to turn this vision into action. Governments and businesses must work together to build resilient and diversified supply chains, accelerate innovation and create an enabling environment for investment and entrepreneurship. I look forward to engaging with global business leaders to deepen engagement and forge enduring partnerships that deliver tangible outcomes for businesses, people and the world economy.”
Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, pointed to structural changes in the global system.
“The global order is undergoing rebalancing and structural changes,” Jaishankar remarked in the release. “This requires us all to revise assumptions and expectations. Today’s priorities are focused increasingly on de-risking and diversifying. India’s approach has been to undertake issue-based collaboration and bridge divides. I look forward to discussing these issues at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum.”
Three Decades of Financial Partnerships
Founded by Michael R. Bloomberg in 2018 with a focus on East-West dialogue, Bloomberg New Economy has grown into a year-round global platform.
The 2026 conference coincides with Bloomberg’s 30th anniversary in India, marking three decades of providing data, transparency, and connectivity to support the country’s evolving financial markets.
Founding Partners for the 2026 Forum include DP World, Hitachi Energy, HSBC, Hyundai Motor Company, and Tata Sons. Marsh serves as the exclusive Knowledge Partner, with Infosys, PwC, and Suzlon acting as Presenting Partners alongside Coalition Partners Schneider Electric and AstraZeneca.
This text was edited with the assistance of an AI tool and has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and clarity by India Currents.
