Swiss President Guy Parmelin has described the India–European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) as a potential “win-win” for both countries, saying strong corporate interest in the pact could boost bilateral trade, investment and employment. Marking the first anniversary of the agreement entering into force in October 2025, Parmelin gave a positive assessment of its implementation following delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• Parmelin said the agreement’s investment focus brought together the complementary strengths of the two economies. Switzerland offered companies with global reach, specialised technologies, strong innovation capabilities and a long-term investment approach, while India combined scale with a dynamic economy, a highly skilled workforce and an increasingly important role in global value chains.

• The agreement covers India and the four EFTA members—Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

• Switzerland will host the next AI Summit in Geneva in June 2027. Parmelin described India as a key partner and said Switzerland was committed to ensuring continuity between the two summits and looked forward to India’s participation.