Swiss President Guy Parmelin on 3-day state visit to India from 5 October
Why in the news
Swiss President Guy Parmelin arrives in India on 5 October 2026 for a three-day state visit. The trip marks one year since the India-EFTA trade pact took effect.
Key facts
- Duration: three-day state visit starting 5 October 2026, with a high-level team of senior officials and business leaders.
- Meetings: President Droupadi Murmu meets him on the evening of his arrival; he holds bilateral talks with PM Narendra Modi; External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar calls on him.
- Agenda: trade and investment, science, technology and innovation, mobility, culture and people-to-people ties, plus regional and global issues.
- 2nd India-EFTA Prosperity Summit: he will take part on 7 October 2026.
- Largest EFTA partner: Switzerland is India’s biggest trade and investment partner in the EFTA group.
- Parmelin had earlier come to New Delhi in February 2026 for the AI Impact Summit.
About India-EFTA TEPA
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement |
| Signed | 10 March 2024 |
| In force | 1 October 2025 |
| EFTA members | Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland |
| Investment pledge | USD 100 billion over 15 years (USD 50 billion in the first 10 years, USD 50 billion in the next 5) |
| Jobs target | 1 million direct jobs in India |
The pledge is the first investment commitment of its kind in any Indian trade deal. India can rebalance or suspend tariff concessions if the promised investment does not come.
Exam angle
- Remember the four EFTA members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
- TEPA dates: signed 10 March 2024, effective 1 October 2025.
- USD 100 billion investment and 1 million jobs are the headline numbers.