Swiss President Guy Parmelin started a three-day state visit to India on 5 October, with talks planned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on trade, investment, technology and mobility.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin began a three-day state visit to India on Monday, 5 October 2026, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Open Magazine and IANS reported that the trip is his first state visit to India and his second visit this year, after the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi in February.
Talks between Modi and Parmelin were scheduled for Monday to review trade and investment, science, technology and innovation, mobility, culture and people-to-people ties. The Ministry of External Affairs said Parmelin is accompanied by senior officials and business leaders, IANS reported.
Parmelin described the visit as a stepping stone toward strengthening what he called a close and long-standing partnership. He is due to attend the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on 7 October.
That summit marks the first anniversary of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement entering into force on 1 October 2025. The agreement was signed on 10 March 2024, IANS reported.
The visit is framed by both sides around implementation of that trade deal rather than a new treaty. No new agreement had been announced at the start of the programme on Monday.
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- Parmelin said the visit was a stepping stone toward a closer India-Switzerland partnership.