A ceremonial welcome for the President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin, was held at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a warm welcome to the Swiss President upon his arrival at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Swiss President arrives for a three-day state visit at PM Modi’s invitation
President Parmelin arrived in India on Monday for a three-day state visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. This marks his first state visit to India and his second visit overall this year; he had previously visited New Delhi in February 2026 to attend the AI Impact Summit. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior officials and business leaders.
Key focus areas of the visit: Trade, investment, technology, and innovation
The primary objective of this visit is to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, science, technology, innovation, and mobility. Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Guy Parmelin will hold bilateral talks. The two leaders will review the progress of cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, science and technology, innovation, mobility, culture, and people-to-people ties. They will also exchange views on regional and global issues, including cooperation within multilateral forums.
Meeting with President Murmu and official banquet
During the visit, Swiss President Parmelin will also meet President Droupadi Murmu. President Murmu will host an official banquet in his honour. External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar will also meet the Swiss President.
Participation in the India-EFTA Prosperity Summit
This visit is also significant as President Parmelin will participate in the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on October 7. The event will mark the first anniversary of the entry into force of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA). According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Switzerland is India’s largest trade and investment partner among the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.
Long-standing friendly relations
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that India and Switzerland share long-standing friendly relations. This visit will further strengthen cooperation in new areas of mutual interest while building upon the regular high-level exchanges between the two nations. Notably, the last state visit by an Indian President to Switzerland took place in 2019, while Prime Minister Modi paid official visits to the country in 2016 and 2018.
