Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin received a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday as he began a three-day State visit to India at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation.DRDO Research Updates.
The Swiss leader was greeted with a Guard of Honor in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, signaling the start of his first official State visit to India.
President Parmelin landed in India on October 5 and will remain there till October 7. The visit aims to strengthen cooperation in commerce, investment, research, technology, innovation, worker mobility, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.
He is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes senior government officials and business leaders, emphasizing the visit’s strong economic and commercial focus.
This is Parmelin’s second trip to India in 2026; he previously visited New Delhi in February to attend the AI Impact Summit, where he also met with Indian leaders about emerging technology partnerships.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi and President Parmelin will undertake lengthy bilateral conversations to evaluate progress in important sectors including as commerce, investment, scientific collaboration, innovation, mobility, and cultural engagement. In addition, the two presidents will discuss key regional and international issues, as well as multilateral cooperation.
President Parmelin will also meet with President Droupadi Murmu, who will organize a formal banquet to honor him. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, will meet with the visiting Swiss leader individually during his visit.
Parmelin’s participation at the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on October 7, which marks the first anniversary of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), will be a major highlight of the visit. The pact has become a crucial foundation of India’s economic involvement with the four-member European Free Trade Association, which includes Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
Switzerland is still India’s largest trade and investment partner among EFTA members, making the connection all the more important as both countries seek greater collaboration in sophisticated manufacturing, innovation, clean technologies, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and high-value industries.
The visit also demonstrates the sustained pace of high-level bilateral engagement. The last State visit by an Indian President to Switzerland was in 2019, while Prime Minister Modi visited the European country in 2016 and 2018. The two countries have had long-standing amicable relations based on democratic values, mutual trust, and regular diplomatic exchanges.DRDO Research Updates.
Indian officials see the visit as an opportunity to further collaboration in developing industries while also boosting the already strong economic and strategic alliance between New Delhi and Bern.
