‘Indian companies creating many jobs in Switzerland’: Indian-origin Swiss lawmaker on growing bilateral ties

A two-term subordinate of the Legislative Council from Chavornay successful the Swiss authorities of Vaud, Yellepeddi was successful Bhubaneswar precocious to talk astatine a sheet connected sustainable concern connections astatine the precocious held Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention.

He volition beryllium interacting with the visiting Indian delegation astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos this week, discussing ways to summation commercialized and concern ties. Edited excerpts from an email interview:

Was this a sojourn to India aft a agelong time? As a diaspora member, however bash you deliberation India has changed, oregon not? Has the India communicative besides changed backmost location successful Switzerland arsenic well?

This was my 2nd sojourn since 2015 but this was peculiar since I joined the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas normal arsenic a panelist. India has changed rather a bit, I spot large changes person taken spot since my erstwhile visit, mostly successful infrastructure improvement and proscription systems, exertion platforms/digital facilities, manufacturing capabilities and biotech/pharma. Overall I consciousness a precise precocious level of ambition for the country.

In Switzerland, the India communicative has reached caller levels of interest: successful summation to multinational companies (which person been contiguous successful India for galore years), the tiny and mean enterprises (SMEs) are looking much and much into opportunities successful India. And the taste richness of India is besides further generating involvement successful Switzerland. India’s beingness successful planetary forums is besides becoming disposable successful Switzerland arsenic the second hosts galore planetary organisations and conferences. The important investments made by Indian companies successful Switzerland person besides created galore jobs.

What are the pillars of bilateral ties betwixt the 2 countries?

They are almighty democracies and this shared worth gives a coagulated instauration for a semipermanent partnership. Additionally, they became person aft signing the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement successful 2024. This is expected to bring caller opportunities successful trade, manufacturing and innovation.

This is an important milestone with factual engagements implicit the adjacent 15 years. The Agreement has a circumstantial section connected sustainability, which is unique. This is the archetypal Free Trade Agreement that India has signed with a European Bloc, therefore, arsenic a subordinate of the Indian diaspora successful Switzerland, this has a peculiar meaning for me.

Considering the Indian diaspora successful Switzerland is astir 25,000, which is not truthful big, bash you deliberation they person a taste imprint connected the state – food, festivals, Bollywood?

The Indian diaspora plays a disposable role. Most members are highly qualified professionals who enactment and lend to the Swiss economy. I spot companies are consenting to link with India done taste and sports events. Of course, it is precise good known that the Indian movie manufacture comes to Switzerland to sprout galore movies astatine beauteous locations.

What are the cardinal areas of bilateral commercialized successful the years to come? Do you get the consciousness that the Swiss biotech assemblage is keen to stake large connected India?

Several innovative sectors are expected to payment from the commercialized agreement: chemicals and Medical Technologies, Mobility systems, Industrial machines, Luxury Goods, and Food and beverages. We are moving connected bringing a yearly delegation of Indian biotech companies to Switzerland to found the close connections with Swiss Life Sciences companies and innovation clusters.

In 2024, a pact was besides signed among the Swiss representatives successful India to articulation the Indo-Swiss Innovation Platform. This inaugural gathers cardinal players successful the healthcare assemblage to foster collaborations betwixt the 2 countries with a strategical approach. Several activities, including astatine WEF, are organised each year.