Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swiss President Guy Parmelin said India and Switzerland signed five agreements in New Delhi, including a migration pact with multi-year visas, and flagged defence and nuclear cooperation.
India and Switzerland signed five agreements on Monday in New Delhi during a three-day state visit by Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House.
The Ministry of External Affairs said the documents include a Migration and Mobility Partnership and a young-professionals exchange, along with cooperation on transport and infrastructure. The migration memorandum provides multiple-entry visas of up to five years, with stays of up to six months on each visit, and renewable one-year student permits, The Hindu reported.
Modi said the two sides identified opportunities in military exchanges and defence production and agreed to deepen nuclear-energy cooperation. He also said decisions would expand Swiss market access for Indian exports and facilitate investment.
Business Standard reported Parmelin’s visit marks the first anniversary period of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force on 1 October 2025. Modi said the arrangements should lift Indian exports of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles and engineering goods and draw Swiss investment in biotech, life sciences, banking, insurance, food processing and sustainability.
The migration pact is also framed as a tool against irregular migration and trafficking, under each country’s laws. Further implementation timelines were not detailed in the initial readouts.
People Sentiments Positive
- Modi described the talks as opening new opportunities for Indian students, researchers, professionals and young workers in Switzerland.