Each year, arriving in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum (WEF), the first sight that impresses me is the Swiss-made perfection, orderliness, as well as the high level of security.

In the midst of fur and snow, as well as off the alpine ski piste , the heady mix of billionaire tycoons, heads of state, royalty, eminent politicians is officially tasked with handling the Davos 2012 theme this week, ‘The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models'.

The theme reflects the need for an insightful overhaul in the face of a skirmishing global system and lingering economic disquiet. Global leaders will then question how the world works, redefine what the future should look like, and align stakeholders around that vision.

The German Chancellor, Ms Angela Merkel, will deliver the opening address with the record participation of more than 2,600 global leaders, who will convene during January 25-29 for the annual meeting.

Bankers, many of whom avoided Davos during the past two years, have returned in full force this year. So, too, have heads of rating agencies, who had gone ‘underground' after taking a thrashing, post-crash.

This week, the summit will also see interaction amongst dozens of religious and spiritual leaders to thrash out issues such as business ethics .

The depiction of the potential risks the world faces this year, in the Forum's Global Risks 2012 report released last month, is overwhelmingly depressing.

This report is a wake-up call to the both the movers and shakers on a global level to come up with productive ways to realign the expectations of an increasingly concerned global community. Expectedly, Davos, this week, will address the issues.

GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

Also to be discussed is the Global Competitiveness Report broughtout by the WEF. Findings show that Switzerland tops the overall rankings. Singapore overtakes Sweden for second position. Northern and Western European countries dominate the top 10. Japan remains the second-ranked Asian economy at ninth place, despite falling three places since last year.

As for India, she ranks 56th in the assessment. India dropped five places and demonstrated only “slight changes in its competitiveness performance” since last year. Countries such as Tunisia (40), Malta (51), Sri Lanka (52), and Azerbaijan (55) are ahead of India!

Perhaps it is the inexorable, unrelenting leadership failure in India that has led to the triumph of the culture of mediocrity over the culture of excellence and efficiency in all aspects of life in India.

In the European eye, patchiness and mediocrity have become too deep-rooted and ingrained in India's culture, to the extent that persistence to perform efficiently or expect excellence in everything, is synonymous with naivety.

Fortunately, as in each year, the Confederation of Indian Industry will send a high-level delegation to this week's annual pow-wow.

While backbiting, squabbling and wrangling is the order of the day at home, the India contingent in Davos has always been a snug, tight-knit huddle. They hold up each other, deliver an unwavering, consistent message and show singleness of purpose — promoting Brand India.

Indian corporate and political leaders, across party lines, support each other readily in Davos — it being a neutral ground. The informal interaction over free-flowing wine, exotic gourmet dinners and Swiss cheese fondues has helped transform old Indian mindsets, and create healthy new ones.

SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM

While the global economy is likely to take centre-stage, it seems probable that Davos will find out if the entire system of capitalism is sustainable in this century. And if so, the type of capitalism we need to survive and thrive in the 21st century.

After all, it is clear that affluence on borrowed money is a fantasy. This, then, is yet another conundrum that global leaders in Davos will have to chew on.

This year, the programme runs to 110 pages, and glancing through this ahead of my annual visit, brought the realisation, once again, what a huge privilege it is to be invited — because this is the place where the global economic agenda is set.

It is here where those who listen carefully can understand the patterns that affect all of our lives.

Each year, while there are obvious networking opportunities, the social scene is also a big part of Davos week. There are also a host of breakfast sessions to consider. And yes, those dinners, nightcaps, parties and breakfasts take their toll on one's sleep.

But I have found them to deliver the most valuable insights, providing an excellent overview of this extraordinary annual event.

Something I love doing in Davos, year after year, is making a visit to the Kirchner museum right beside the Davos congress centre. The German painter, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, exiled himself in Davos from the 1920s to 1938. Unlike conventional mountain painters, he did the unattainable — painting the Alps by highlighting their mysterious colours — in baffling combinations.

The ‘Davos 2012' kickstart, as in each New Year, promises to be fascinating. It does give a much-needed break from cynicism. Every participant leaves with at least one new idea to make this earth a better place.

I am convinced that Oliver Goldsmith's spirit, as expressed in the immortal lines “And fools who came to scoff, remained to pray”, will take over cynics and first-timers, during their engagement in Davos.

(The author is a former Europe Director, CII and lives in Cologne, Germany. blfeedback@thehindu.co.in )

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