Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 19: The Global Economic Cooperation 2026 (GEC2026), held from 17–19 February 2026 at the Taj Santacruz in Mumbai, concluded successfully with the participation of leading global political and economic decision-makers. The forum was inaugurated by the Hon’ble external Minister Dr. Jaishankar, alongside senior ministerial representatives from India like Minister Piyush Goyal and other partners of countries. As Chief Patron of the Future Economic Cooperation Council (FECC), the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis, led key strategic discussions during the convening.
Rahul Kumar, Member of the City Parliament of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, participated as the only invited speaker representing Germany at this high-level geo-economic forum. The event was jointly organised by the Future Economic Cooperation Council (FECC), the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and the Government of Maharashtra.
GEC2026 brought together approximately 500 global CEOs, sovereign wealth fund executives, private equity and hedge fund leaders, ministerial delegations, senior policymakers, and multinational corporate leadership. The discussions focused on strengthening economic diplomacy, deepening strategic investment partnerships, and advancing long-term cooperation in infrastructure, artificial intelligence, fintech, logistics, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital innovation.
Rahul Kumar spoke at the breakout panel discussion titled: “Multilateralism in a Fragmented World“
The panel featured Dr. Chirayu Thakkar, Mr. Arundika Fernando (Sri Lanka), Rahul Kumar (Member of the City Parliament, Frankfurt, Germany), and Mr. Chandra Arya (Former Member of the Canadian House of Commons), Ambassador Ruchita Kamboj and was moderated by Ms. Shreya Upadhyay (WION). The discussion addressed evolving geopolitical alignments, emerging economic corridors, technology-driven alliances, and the future architecture of multilateral cooperation.
Kumar’s participation reflected his sustained engagement in strengthening Indo-German relations at political, economic, and institutional levels. Since 2021, when he became the only migrant of Indian origin elected to the Frankfurt City Parliament in one of Europe’s leading financial hubs, he has actively promoted structured bilateral cooperation between Germany and India.
In recent years, Kumar facilitated, supported, and co-signed Letters of Intent (LOIs) and Memorandums of Intent (MOIs) with several Indian states, including Haryana, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, focusing on skilled workforce mobility, institutional partnerships, and long-term economic collaboration. He led a high-level German delegation to Uttarakhand to establish concrete cooperation frameworks in youth development, vocational training, healthcare collaboration, and employment pathways between both countries.
In 2025, Kumar engaged in high-level political dialogue in Berlin with an Indian opposition leader, where discussions covered trade expansion, education partnerships, digital transformation, and strengthening people-to-people exchange. During the visit, he also facilitated dialogue between Indian political representatives and members of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) leadership.
On the international stage, Kumar addressed the 58th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, contributing Indo-German perspectives to global policy debates and reinforcing the constructive role of the Indian diaspora in multilateral engagement.
As an elected representative in a major European financial center, Kumar brings expertise in financial markets, digital transformation, sustainable urban governance, and international economic integration. His participation at GEC2026 highlighted the growing importance of international diplomacy and political networking, also diaspora leadership in shaping strategic cooperation frameworks between India, Germany, and global partners.
Commenting after the conclusion of the forum, Rahul Kumar stated, “It was a great honor to represent Frankfurt and Germany at the Global Economic Cooperation 2026. In a time of global fragmentation, it is essential that nations focus on common strengths and mutually beneficial, win-win solutions. If we do not actively invest in strengthening and expanding our diplomatic and economic partnerships now, others will shape the future architecture of global cooperation in ways that may not serve shared democratic values. I therefore call for proactive global networking among partners who share similar synergies, strategic interests, and forward-looking approaches.”
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