Modi and Swiss President Parmelin sign five pacts on mobility, young professionals, transport and research

Key facts

• India and Switzerland signed five agreements on October 5, 2026, following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swiss President Guy Parmelin, agreeing to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, defence, nuclear energy and infrastructure.
• The five pacts include a migration and mobility partnership, an exchange programme for young professionals, and a pact on cooperation in transportation technologies, mobility systems and infrastructure development.
• Parmelin began his three-day state visit to India on October 5, 2026 — his first state visit to the country and second visit this year after attending the AI Impact Summit in February.
• The India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) between India and Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway came into force in October, targeting USD 100 billion in investment and one million direct jobs in India over the next 15 years.
• Parmelin said Switzerland hoped to conclude an investment protection agreement with India soon and stressed progress on intellectual property protection.
• Swiss companies are involved in Indian infrastructure projects including the Varanasi ropeway, Jewar Airport in Noida, and railway and tunnelling projects in hilly regions.
• The two leaders discussed expanding military exchanges and defence production and agreed to deepen cooperation in nuclear energy; new joint research projects in health, clean energy and space are expected.
• Parmelin received a ceremonial Guard of Honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 5, with President Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi in attendance, marking the start of the visit.
• During the visit, Parmelin will meet President Droupadi Murmu, who will host an official banquet, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will call on him.
• Parmelin will participate in the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on October 7, marking the first anniversary of TEPA coming into force; Switzerland is India's largest trade and investment partner among EFTA countries.
• The leaders discussed the Ukraine conflict and West Asia, supported peace efforts and reforms of global institutions, and discussed AI governance.
• The migration and mobility agreement provides multiple-entry visas of up to five years with stays of up to six months per visit, and renewable one-year student permits, while aiming to promote mobility under equal treatment principles and combat irregular migration and human trafficking.
• Over 330 Swiss companies operate in India in sectors such as engineering, services, precision instruments, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, while Indian companies are present in Switzerland in IT, pharmaceuticals and machinery.
• Modi said expanded market access will increase Indian exports of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles and engineering goods to Switzerland, while attracting Swiss investment in biotech, life sciences, banking, insurance, food processing and sustainability.
• Switzerland will host the next edition of the AI Summit, the Geneva AI Summit, next year, after India hosted the world's largest AI Summit in February this year.
• The Agreement on the Exchange of Young Professionals (YPS) provides for exchange of 300 persons annually per country, which may increase to 500, with a 30/90-day timeline for verification of nationality or residency status. The scheme targets temporary employment to enhance professional and language skills.
• An MoU between the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways covers collaboration on transportation technologies and mobility systems, including electric vehicles, ropeways, circular economy, and tunnels.
• A Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) aims to promote long-term India-Switzerland research cooperation.
• An Implementation Arrangement (IA) between DST and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences will implement the Indo-Swiss Academia-Industry Training (AIT India) program for early-stage startups.
• The inaugural session of the Indo-Swiss Research Flagship event was announced in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology.