Mukesh Ambani, Shah Rukh Khan in audience as PM Modi addresses WEF in Davos

Talking about social media, Prime Minister Modi said, "The example of breaking, addition, and twisting of technology is being seen in the form of social media."

Mukesh Ambani, Shah Rukh Khan in audience as PM Modi addresses WEF in Davos

DAVOS: Businessman Mukesh Ambani and actor Shah Rukh Khan were among the audience as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the plenary session of World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday. Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to attend the WEF meet in two decades.

During his keynote address, the PM focussed on technology and the global flow of data. He said: "Today, data is a real wealth and it is being said that whoever acquires and controls the data will have hegemony in the future. The global flow of data is creating big opportunities as well as challenges."

Talking about social media, Prime Minister Modi said, "The example of breaking, addition, and twisting of technology is being seen in the form of social media."

He also made a comparison between World Economic Forum meeting in 1997 and 2018. "In 1997, India`s Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda attended the WEF meeting in Davos. That forum`s vision was about the building of network society. Then there was no Euro; very few people knew about Osama bin Laden; Google was not invented, if someone would search Amazon on Internet then search results would throw information about rivers and forests. Tweeting was the work of birds," he said.

Earlier in the day, Shah Rukh Khan, Australian actress Cate Blanchett and legendary musician Elton John were presented with the annual 'Crystal Awards' for their respective work towards improving the state of the world.

India had hosted the welcome reception at the WEF annual gathering with ministers, business leaders and celebrities in attendance. More than 130 participants from India attended the meeting of the rich and the powerful where the official sessions began with the Prime Minister's address.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, film maker Karan Johar, among others, were present at the reception.

Samosa, kachori and a lot of other Indian food items were on the platter at the reception.