Visakhapatnam : The 31st CII Partnership Summit 2026 got under way in Visakhapatnam with a strong focus on business partnerships and policy dialogue. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), set out what the summit hopes to achieve in his address at the inaugural session.
Banerjee said the most important part of the summit would be the more than 1,000 business-to-business (B2B) meetings, which will be held alongside the country sessions. He added that the dialogue between businesses and governments would also be of great value to participants.
He then listed the themes for the two-day event: trade, investment, global value chains, trust, geoeconomics, global cooperation, technology and innovation, and future industries and clean energy. Together, he said, they cover a vast array of subjects that will be taken up over the next two days.
Background
The summit is being held on November 12 and 13 under the theme “Navigating New World Order.” It is organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and CII.
The event brings together global leaders, policymakers, industry captains, academicians and thought leaders to build solution-oriented dialogue and partnerships. Around 1,250 participants were expected, including about 15 foreign ministers, more than 40 international speakers, 350 foreign delegates and 900 Indian delegates, representing nearly 58 to 59 countries.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu were among the leaders expected to attend. For Andhra Pradesh, hosting the summit is part of its effort to position itself as a key hub for global investment, international trade and technology.
A regional summit at Sri City in Tirupati district was held ahead of the main event, with more than 65 MoUs expected to be signed to support jobs and investment.