India–Switzerland relations refers to the relations between the Republic of India and the Swiss Confederation, including trade, science, education, and culture. Switzerland has diplomatic offices in several Indian cities. India has an embassy in Bern and consulates general in Geneva and Zurich. In 2023, the two countries celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship signed in 1948.

History

Early relations Contacts between Switzerland and India date to the 16th century, when Swiss missionaries such as the Jesuit Pietro Berno were active in India. In the 18th century, hundreds of Swiss mercenaries served with French and British forces in India. The Swiss engineer and orientalist Antoine-Louis Henri de Polier spent time at the Mughal court. By the 1750s, around 300 Swiss were living in India.

From the 19th century onwards, more Swiss traders, scholars, and missionaries travelled to India. In 1851, the Volkart brothers founded a trading company in Basel and Bombay. It later opened branches across India and became important to Switzerland's commercial and consular presence in British India. In 1915, Switzerland opened a consulate in Bombay. By the 1930s, more than 500 Swiss nationals working in India.

After Indian independence Shortly after India gained independence in 1947, Switzerland recognized the new state and established diplomatic relations. On August 14, 1948, the two countries signed a friendship and travel treaty, making Switzerland one of the first states to conclude such an agreement with the young Indian state. In 1948, Switzerland opened an embassy in New Delhi; in return, India established a diplomatic mission in Bern. Relations remained close and friendly in the decades that followed. Switzerland became involved in development cooperation in 1961 and financed numerous projects in India, providing a total of over CHF 1 billion in aid. During the Bangladesh conflict, Switzerland acted as a protecting power between 1971 and 1976, representing the interests of India in Pakistan and those of Pakistan in India.

Since 2000 In the 21st century, Switzerland and India intensified their relations in politics, economics, and research. Switzerland and India signed a science and technology agreement in 2003, followed by a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the social sciences in 2012. Activities under these agreements are carried out through the Indo-Swiss Joint Research Programme. Swissnex India, based in Bangalore, facilitates exchanges between the two countries in science, education, the arts, and innovation.

At the same time, traditional development cooperation shifted toward global partnerships, and traditional bilateral aid programs were gradually phased out. To deepen political dialogue, regular high-level consultations have been held since 2011. Negotiations on a free trade agreement between India and the EFTA states, which began in 2008, finally led to the signing of a comprehensive Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) in March 2024. This is India's first free trade agreement with European countries. In June 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann in Geneva to discuss bilateral cooperation. Reuters reported that Modi said Switzerland had agreed to make combating tax evasion and “black money” a shared priority, and had expressed support for India's bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). In the same month, the BBC reported that China opposed India’s bid to join the NSG, stating that non-signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should not be granted membership.

In 2021, during the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the Glasgow Climate Pact was adopted despite a last-minute intervention by India to change the language on coal from “phase out” to “phase down”. Swiss Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga expressed disappointment at India’s proposal to weaken the final wording on coal.

Economic relations Bilateral trade volume grew strongly over the last decade, reaching around US$27 billion in 2024,India-Switzerland Bilateral Relations making Switzerland one of the largest trade partners of India in Europe. India is likewise one of Switzerland’s principal economic partners in Asia. Bilateral trade includes Swiss exports such as pharmaceuticals, machinery, and chemicals, and Indian exports of chemicals, textiles, agricultural products, and precious metals. Swiss companies operate in India through subsidiaries, joint ventures, or branches.

Swiss direct investment in India amounted to around CHF 7.3 billion at the end of 2022, and around 330 Swiss companies are present in the Indian market with subsidiaries or joint ventures. These include large companies such as Nestlé, Novartis, Holcim, and ABB, which have been manufacturing and investing in India for decades.

Cultural relations Swiss artists such as architect Le Corbusier and artist Alice Boner had a formative influence in India, while Indian film producers (e.g. Yash Chopra) increased Switzerland's profile in India through Bollywood films shot in the Swiss Alps. For many Indians, Switzerland is a dream destination, and in 2023, 600,000 tourists from India visited Switzerland. The opening of a liaison office for the Swiss cultural foundation Pro Helvetia in New Delhi in 2007 gave bilateral cultural exchange an additional boost. In addition, there is a growing Indian community in Switzerland of over 20,000 people, while conversely, around 600 Swiss citizens reside in India. Resident diplomatic missions India has an embassy in Bern and a consulate-general in Geneva. Switzerland has an embassy in New Delhi and consulates-general in Bengaluru and Mumbai. See also Foreign relations of India Foreign relations of Switzerland

References

External links "Bilateral relations Switzerland–India" - eda.admin.ch "Switzerland backs India for nuclear exporting club" - swissinfo.ch, June 28, 2016 "Swiss want inclusive membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group" - swissinfo.ch, June 7, 2017