Vizag CII Partnership Summit: global policymakers, corporate captains to discuss trade and technology

Visakhapatnam is all set to host the 31st CII Partnership Summit 2026 on November 12 and 13, bringing together key global policymakers, corporate captains, and international delegations to deliberate on economic partnerships, technological integration, and trade resilience.Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, and hosted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the flagship annual summit is anchored on the theme ‘Navigating the New World Order: Trade, Technology, Trust, Thought and Leadership’.The event will have delegations from 58 participating countries, including 16 overseas ministers, over 40 international speakers, and more than 1,250 registered delegates.The summit proceedings will be co-chaired by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The event will be inaugurated by Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah.Six focus areasDeliberations over the course of the event are structured around six specialised tracks designed to address critical aspects of the global economy—Trade, Investment & Global Value Chains: Examining global trade realignments, India-Europe partnerships, and international supply chain frameworks; Trust, Geoeconomics & Global Cooperation: Focusing on security, technology integration, and multilateral partnerships in a shifting geopolitical climate; Technology, Innovation & Future Industry: Highlighting advanced manufacturing, quantum computing, artificial intelligence applications, and space commercialisation; Talent, Skills & Global Mobility: Deliberating on workforce capabilities and digital skill development tailored for next-generation economies; Clean Energy & Sustainable Growth: Outlining strategies for renewable transition, grid resilience, and sustainable industrialisation; Agriculture, Food Security & Bioeconomy: Exploring technology-driven, climate-resilient food production systems.The summit will feature representation across Union Cabinet leadership, state heads, multilateral organisations, and global business executives.Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah will be the chief guest during the inaugural session on November 12, while Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan will deliver the keynote address at the valedictory session on November 13.Other attending Union Ministers include Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan, Ports, Shipping & Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, and New & Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi.The Andhra Pradesh delegation is led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, and Minister for HRD, IT, Electronics & Communications Nara Lokesh.Multilateral and international leaders attending the event include Daren Tang (Director-General, WIPO), Bastian Giegerich (Director-General, IISS), and Roberto Bocca (World Economic Forum), alongside diplomats from Japan and the European Union.Industry heads including Sanjiv Puri (ITC), Sumant Sinha (ReNew), R. Mukundan (CII), Shobana Kamineni (Apollo Hospitals), Yusuff Ali M.A. (Lulu Group), and Paul Dyck (Walmart) will lead the trade sessions.Programme overviewThe Pre-Summit Technical Sessions & Leadership Roundtables on November 11 will focus on export competitiveness, defence manufacturing ecosystems, aerospace value chains, and startup collaborations with Korea.The schedule includes an aerospace roundtable, an India-Korea startup session, and closed-door CEO roundtables with state leadership, culminating in the official Welcome Dinner hosted by the Chief Minister at The Park.A.P. Women & Growth Summit 2026Following the inauguration of the Andhra Pradesh Pavilion and MSME Exhibition on November 12, the summit opens with high-level plenaries. Strategic sessions will evaluate India-Africa, Japan, and UAE bilateral investments, along with panel discussions on global supply chains, maritime logistics, civil aviation, and climate-resilient agriculture. The AP Women & Growth Summit 2026 will also be launched concurrently.The event's final day on November 13 will highlight space economy frameworks, AI, quantum computing applications, port-led development, and clean energy resilience.Senior Union Ministers will engage in dedicated fireside chats on national infrastructure prior to the valedictory session led by Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan and Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer.Alongside the core summit venue at the Novotel, the A.P. Pavilion and MSME Exhibition will showcase regional manufacturing capabilities, state growth models, and investment opportunities on the Andhra University Grounds. While the main summit sessions are reserved for registered delegates and global industry representatives, the industrial exhibition will open to the general public on November 14.