At the Davos 2026 World Economic Forum, Gwenaelle Avice Huet, CEO of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric, detailed the company’s escalating strategic focus on India. In an exclusive CNBC TV18 interview, Huet highlighted India’s pivotal role in transforming critical sectors such as water, steel, and energy. This push is driven by global demands for automation, sustainability, and digitisation, marking a turning point in industrial practices. Huet emphasized that companies are actively seeking tangible use cases to realize the full value of these advancements and drive global competitiveness.
Schneider Electric is actively involved in India’s water industry, specifically in Delhi, developing digital solutions for water and wastewater management. The company is also spearheading efforts in hydrogen deployment and green steel development, closely aligning with India’s national energy transition and infrastructure priorities. Huet asserted, “AI brings competitiveness, and sustainability is good business too,” stressing the mutual benefits of digitalisation, electrification, and sustainability. These strategies converge to enable significant cost reduction and create substantial customer value, showcasing a comprehensive approach to industrial evolution.
India’s importance is further underscored by Schneider Electric’s substantial presence: over 28,000 employees, numerous manufacturing plants, and advanced R&D centers. This commitment supports a “local for local” model, enabling robust expansion in key areas including green steel, hyperscalers, and water infrastructure projects. India is also set to become a global R&D hub, influencing worldwide industrial automation trends. Huet acknowledged that while technology for electrification and automation is readily available, scaling remains the primary challenge. This demands significant investment in training, upskilling, and fostering local partnerships to fully harness technological potential and ensure widespread impact across India’s industrial landscape.