ET@Davos 2026: Beyond the serious business, young turks go off the beaten track to chill
While India’s young and restless, including founders, boys and sorority girls (many of whom were making their Davos debuts) chose unique ways to connect, bond, mingle and chat at the World Economic Forum (WEF), global leaders sought to rethink and restructure the world in the sleepy Swiss hamlet of Davos.
“The WEF was going Washington on Main Street, while we were choosing to be cool and find better ways to solve problems,” said a 26-year-old social entrepreneur, sipping mulled wine from a roadside kiosk for the first time. Players, sensitive to the unwritten rules of Davos, wish to remain anonymous. “Whatever happened in Davos stays here, right?
Also Read: India Inc. gives water saving a main business priority
Some returned enlightened, some ecstatic, a few invigorated and excited for the next 12 months and beyond. Deals, investments, business plans, bright ideas, and backroom intrigue all unfolded in traditional forums for two-martini power lunches and meetings beyond the four walls of the Convention Center or in dual meeting rooms in hotel suites.
HEALTHY EXPERIENCES
The following WhatsApp appeared in one of the many Davos groups: “I am sharing some alternative programs closer to Eastern traditions and mind-body spirit issues.”
This one stood out because it was unlike any other message shared. Always up for anti-patterns, a handful of people clicked and signed up immediately. “This was one of the healthiest experiences I’ve had in Davos this year,” said one attendee of the Burning Mantra event, held indoors on a snowy hill about 20 minutes outside the city centre.
Also Read: WEF meeting ends on caution; India offers a ray of hope
More than 40 people from various countries gathered with the singular intention of “chanting the name of the Lord,” while miles away, President Donald Trump launched a tirade that was both shocking and frustrating.
Meanwhile, one attendee said there was no promotion at the top of the mountain, no “what brought you here,” no scanning of badges.
Hosted by Sacred Shell.org and attended by some Big Tech poster boys from the Valley, the event began with a little introduction about how when you step away you realize that this is actually a time of abundance, how the world is rapidly evolving for the better, and how important it is for people to be better together today.
“When the present is difficult and the future is uncertain, what matters is what you do now,” said one of the guests, who also doubles as a musician. “At that moment, in that place, that’s what we did. We gathered as one. We were there as one. We chanted as one.”
The Schatzalp session was equally transcendent. It all started with the funicular ride up the mountain, where investors and family offices collectively manage trillions of dollars of assets, and then… “Silence. Breath. Intention,” as one participant, himself an entrepreneur, described it. “Davos has a way of doing this.”
Also Read: Davos 2026: Can growth be sustained as security risks increase?
In a similar unicorn moment, several young leaders connected with the chief of the Yuwanawa tribe in Acre, Brazil, to “share and deepen the purpose of life in Davos.”
Nixiwaka Brewer Yawanawa invites global spiritual leaders to gather at the World Ayahuasca Forum promotional tour in Girona, Spain, in late September.
As one of them put it: “We talked quietly, sharing stories about the importance of purpose and feminine energy for positive change among both men and women in business and leadership. We also exchanged a third eye and were still embracing our energy.”
NIGHT GAMES
Such cross-generational ties have also led to one of south India’s most successful entrepreneurs joining a larger group from his home state having fun in St Moritz. The gentleman, who also hosts his movie legend friend between his meetings with Prime Ministers, CEOs and global investors, is famous for his “spontaneous decisions”.
According to one of their industrialist friends, the duo decided what better way to spend a few hours on a freezing cold night than sipping the smoothest mezcal or malts with the people they cared about most. “But remember, they returned to Davos the next afternoon to continue their high-powered engagement,” the person said.
Then there were night games played by young people on the padel field. The nation’s richest podcaster investor and everyone’s 2 a.m. friend was always looking to break new ground. He found it in Davos at the Sporthalle Farbi, a swish complex that includes tennis, padel, squash, pickleball and a freestyle golf simulator. He was lucky because many of his close friends and fellow sports enthusiasts were also around.
“What better way to end a tiring day of meetings than sweating it out on the padel court?” asked one of the invitees. he said. One day they were facing off against UAE investors, the next day they were playing with each other. “It’s not the golf course, it’s not even the tennis courts, but padel is the crowd’s sport,” said one long-time Davos veteran, enjoying learning about this growing subculture at the WEF.
But many are still under the spell of rapper, producer, entrepreneur and futurist will.i.am, who attended Stanford/MIT’s Imagination in Action session and talked about how to remain human in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
“What stuck with me was his approach to creativity and unpredictability and his simple advice: be human, be messy, be unpredictable – mix the patterns up a bit,” said one participant.
It was funny, uplifting, and oddly grounding. Especially at a time when artificial intelligence is taking over every conversation on the promenade.
