V. Shankar Speaks at the 2026 Forbes Global CEO Conference - Gateway PartnersV. Shankar Speaks at the 2026 Forbes Global CEO Conference - Gateway Partners
Investor Portal

V. Shankar Speaks at the 2026 Forbes Global CEO Conference

Gateway Partners’ Co-founder and CEO, V. Shankar, spoke at the 2026 Forbes Global CEO Conference, held on 7–8 October in Singapore, on a panel discussion titled “A Brave New Risky World.”

October 2026

  • Home
  • Media
  • V. Shankar Speaks at the 2026 Forbes Global CEO Conference

Gateway Partners’ Co-founder and CEO, V. Shankar, participated in a panel discussion titled “A Brave New Risky World” at the 24th Forbes Global CEO Conference, held on 7–8 October 2026 in Singapore. The conference, themed “Speed of Change”, brought together global business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors to exchange perspectives on the evolving global economic landscape and emerging opportunities.

The panel explored how geopolitical shifts, climate change and rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the global economic order. Discussions focused on the implications of these developments for businesses and investors, including the importance of resilience, evolving international partnerships and the opportunities and risks arising from technological transformation.

During the discussion, Shankar highlighted the resilience of the Middle East despite recent geopolitical disruptions, noting the region’s recovery in passenger arrivals, continued attractiveness to expatriates and significant concentration of sovereign wealth capital. He also emphasised the region’s ongoing infrastructure investment and international partnerships as important factors supporting its position in the global economy.

On AI, the panel examined both its transformative potential and the risks associated with the rapid expansion of AI-related infrastructure. Shankar observed that it remains uncertain whether the current wave of data centre investment will follow the trajectory of the fibre-optic network build-out, which experienced significant overcapacity, or cloud infrastructure, where sustained demand has supported long-term growth. The discussion also addressed the challenges of AI governance and regulation, as well as the importance of translating substantial investments in AI infrastructure into broader economic and productivity benefits.

Despite the uncertainties surrounding the evolving global order, the panellists highlighted opportunities arising from technological innovation, economic resilience and shifting patterns of globalisation. Shankar expressed optimism that the current period of disruption could create significant transformative opportunities and new avenues for international cooperation.

Media coverage of the panel:

The Business Times, The Edge Singapore, Forbes