India’s rapid infrastructure boom has underscored the nation’s emergence as a global trade and investment hub. As cities scale up sustainably through Smart City missions and green energy initiatives, international collaboration becomes crucial to unlock new opportunities. In this context, the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) plays a pivotal role, connecting local businesses to global trade ecosystems across 90 countries.
This interview offers excerpts from our conversation with Scott Wang, Vice President, Asia Pacific, WTCA who offers insights into the recently concluded WTCA Global Business Forum (GBF) in Marseille, France, and highlights India’s growing prominence within the WTCA network. He discusses India’s integration with sustainable infrastructure, the potential for green hydrogen partnerships, and support for MSMEs through WTCA platforms.
Complementing this perspective is Lia Rochat, Founder of Archismart Solar who shares her entrepreneurial journey and explains how Archismart Solar bridges energy transition and inclusive growth through AI-driven solar infrastructure. She reflects on how WTCA forums have evolved into powerful platforms for climate action and outlines how innovations from France’s PACA region can be adapted to India’s urban landscape.
Together, their insights spotlight how India can harness global platforms to scale its sustainable development ambitions.
Excerpts from Interview with Scott Wang, Vice President, Asia Pacific, WTCA
Q. We’d like to begin with a brief overview of the WTCA Global Business Forum that recently concluded in France? Could you also give your take on the previous one held in Bengaluru, India?
A. The 55th annual WTCA Global Business Forum (GBF) was successfully held from April 6-9, 2025, hosted by World Trade Center Marseille Provence in Marseille, France. During the span of four days, over 400 attendees and nearly 120 WTC businesses from more than 50 countries/territories engaged in open dialogue, practical insights, and global connection. The program hosted 30+ speakers on the mainstage, 20+ hands-on workshops and facilitated 500+ B2B meetings throughout the event. Sustainability was among one of the major themes of the conference. This year also marked WTCA’s first dedicated Real Estate Summit during the GBF. During this portion of the event, global experts analyzed the state of commercial real estate, including its role in driving economic growth, and ways in which sustainable infrastructure and energy innovation continue to shape the future of developments.
WTCA’s 54th Annual Global Business Forum (GBF) was hosted by World Trade Center Bengaluru and held in Bengaluru, India on March 3-6, 2024, attracting nearly 300 leaders from 36 countries and territories, as well as representatives from 105 WTC businesses over a four-day period. The event featured over 300 scheduled B2B meetings, offering onsite matchmaking services in partnership with the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC). These meetings facilitated connections between delegates and business opportunities in Karnataka and beyond in many industries relevant to climate change and energy transition.
Q. With 43 WTC licensees in over 30 Indian cities, how is WTCA working to enhance India’s global trade footprint, particularly in the context of sustainable and energy-efficient infrastructure?
A. India has been one of WTCA’s focal markets in the past decade. We have had the privilege to witness India’s rapid economic growth and the surging demand for commercial infrastructure and global business connectivity. As a result our WTCA network has expanded rapidly during the period. Today, India is the second largest region within the network with 32 members covering most of India’s major cities.
WTCA has a long-term commitment to India and is determined to further grow our network here in both quantity and quality. We are confident that the growth will bring support to more cities and local business communities by connecting them to reciprocal WTC facilities and international trade services worldwide. For WTC tenants and local companies, it means more access to the information, communication and connections which are critical to succeed in the international market place today. For cities, it will raise their international profile and visibility, and connect with more opportunities of direct foreign investment. WTCA is aligning its efforts with India’s Smart Cities Mission, which emphasizes the integration of sustainable infrastructure and cutting-edge technology to foster economic growth and enhance urban environments. This includes initiatives in smart energy, water management, and mobility solutions.
Q. As India looks to scale up green hydrogen production, do you foresee meaningful partnerships or technology transfers emerging from interactions at GBF 2025?
A. The 2025 WTCA Global Business Forum (GBF) in Marseille presented a significant opportunity for India to forge meaningful partnerships and facilitate technology transfers in the green hydrogen sector. It was attended by over 400 delegates from nearly 120 WTC businesses from more than 50 countries/territories. While the GBF’s agenda encompassed various sectors, the presence of energy-focused discussions and the participation of countries active in green hydrogen development worked well for India to engage in partnerships and technology exchanges in this domain. Given India’s ambitious green hydrogen goals and the collaborative environment of the GBF, the forum surely catalyzed partnerships and technology transfers. These collaborations could accelerate India’s green hydrogen initiatives, contributing to global decarbonization efforts.
Q. What role do you see Indian businesses—particularly MSMEs—playing at the upcoming GBF? How is WTCA supporting their global integration, especially in energy and infrastructure sectors?
A. SMEs have been the vast majority of the business membership served by our global WTCA network. They are the biggest source of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, but often in great needs of resource, assistances and facilitation. With the unique combination of global connectivity, professional business facility and integrated international services, the global WTCA network offers an unparalleled ecosystem for SMEs to thrive.
To meet the growing needs of SMEs, many WTC operations, including those in India, developed special programs and resource centres tailored to cope with MSMEs’ challenges such as incubators and MSME assistance centres, which offer packages of expertise and resources to nurture MSMEs to get through the development hurdles.
The 2025 WTCA GBF held in Marseille offered many programs enabling MSMEs from India and other countries in business collaboration and trade/investment facilitation. The B2B matchmaking program at the GBF was particularly helpful in connecting India attendees with business opportunities around the world, including those in energy and infrastructure sectors, through WTCA’s global network, developing critical partnership, and uplifting their aspiration for great success.
During this year’s GBF, it was announced that the 2026 WTCA GBF will be hosted by World Trade Center Greater Philadelphia on April 19-22 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Excerpts from Interview with Lia Rochat – Founder, Archismart Solar (formerly called Archismart Energy)
Q. We’d like to know a little about your personal journey and the inspiration behind establishing Archismart Energy? What are the core areas that you work in and how does your work intersect with the mission and initiatives of WTCA?
A. After over 25 years of experience in real estate asset management and project leadership across Europe, I launched Archismart Solar to tackle two of the biggest challenges of our time: energy transition and social equity. As a woman entrepreneur in my 50s, my journey is rooted in a desire to create tangible, scalable solutions to decarbonize the built environment, particularly in underserved segments such as small- and medium-sized rooftops. Archismart operates at the crossroads of Infratech, Greentech, and Fintech, using AI to develop solar infrastructure on mid-sized buildings — a segment often neglected due to its complexity and fragmentation. We don’t sell energy. Instead, we lease renewable energy production equipment to tenants and owners, transforming them into self-producers and self-consumers. Our work is fully aligned with WTCA’s mission to support sustainable trade and global cooperation. Like WTCA, we believe in building local capacity with global scalability. Clean infrastructure is, to us, a key enabler of resilience and international economic interconnectivity.
Q. What has your experience been like engaging with the WTCA Global Business Forum over the years, and how has the platform evolved in addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change and energy transition?
A. The WTCA Global Business Forum (GBF) has evolved into a truly interdisciplinary, global platform that extends far beyond trade facilitation. Today, it serves as a vital forum for climate action, clean technology, and sustainable investment. As a participant, I’ve witnessed this transformation. It has become a catalyst for partnerships and impact. The annual WTCA GBF gives entrepreneurs like myself a chance to connect with investors, tech innovators, and policymakers around climate-resilient infrastructure and decarbonized growth.
Q. This year’s theme for WTCA GBF is “Gateway to the Mediterranean.” How do you envision this theme facilitating stronger trade and investment ties between India and the Mediterranean region, especially France?
A. The Mediterranean is more than a region — it’s a cultural and economic bridge. This year’s theme is a timely opportunity to strengthen ties between India and France through renewable energy, clean mobility, sustainable urbanization, and of course, innovation and AI. France, especially the PACA region, leads in solar innovation, building-integrated photovoltaics, and energy-as-a-service models. These are perfectly adaptable to India’s Smart Cities and net-zero goals. At Archismart, we believe in co-developing solarization strategies, digital twins, and policy toolkits suited for Indian contexts.
Q. The PACA region of France has emerged as a hub for green technology, particularly in solar and wind energy. Could you highlight some innovations from this region, including those from your own company, that could potentially be adapted to Indian urban and semi-urban centers?
A. PACA is a living lab for green innovation, thanks to its sunny climate and strong policy frameworks. It has pioneered regional energy planning, positive energy districts, and low-carbon standards. At Archismart, we contribute with a deep learning AI platform that creates digital twins of real estate portfolios to simulate solar potential at scale. We also offer zero-CAPEX leasing models — scalable, inclusive, and ideal for India’s Tier-2 cities and semi-urban areas.
Q. How does Archismart Energy contribute to shaping trade-oriented, sustainable infrastructure, and how might these models resonate with India’s Smart Cities Mission?
A. We create assetcos — solar companies that own and operate rooftop plants within real estate portfolios. These companies sit within a TopCo structure for efficiency, de-risking, and rapid scalability. This model unlocks rooftop solar potential, attracts private capital, and aligns stakeholders via energy performance contracts — an ideal fit for India’s Smart Cities vision.
Q. Finally, what would be your message to Indian policymakers and business leaders on leveraging global platforms like GBF to drive sustainable growth and international collaboration?
A. Global platforms like the WTCA GBF are not just networking events — they are accelerators of trust, knowledge, and capital. For Indian leaders, it is vital to use these stages to export innovation, attract impact investment, and co-create standards for sustainable urban growth. I would encourage policymakers to engage proactively with counterparts in Europe, especially in regulatory alignment, clean tech trials, and climate financing frameworks. Let’s not just think in terms of trade flows — let’s build ecosystems of shared value where people, planet, and profit can thrive across borders.
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