India and Switzerland’s deepening partnership 

Source: The post is based on an article “India and Switzerland’s deepening partnership” published in the Indian Express on 2^nd August 2022.

Syllabus: GS 2 International Relations; bilateral Relationship

Relevance: India-Switzerland Relations

News: At present, Switzerland’s State Secretary in charge of Switzerland’s Foreign Policy is on an official visit to India.

India-Switzerland Relationship

Diplomatic relation: India and Switzerland signed the Treaty of Friendship in 1948 in New Delhi. Therefore, both countries are going to commemorate the 75th anniversary of our friendship next year.

Science and Technological relation: Both are collaborating on digital transformation, sustainability, health, life sciences, MedTech, infrastructure, cleantech, fintech, blockchain, AI, and robotics.

Trade and Commerce relation: Innovation and investment continue to be the primary drivers of bilateral relations. Switzerland is the 12th largest investor in India. There are about 100 Swiss companies which are manufacturing locally and supporting the Make in India initiative of India.

Potential areas of cooperation

There is enormous bilateral economic potential. For example, trade talks between Switzerland (as part of the European Free Trade Association EFTA) and India are high on the priority list.

Switzerland is one of the most innovative countries and also the home of world-leading technology companies. Therefore, Switzerland seeks to engage with India, the leader of the industry 4.0 revolution, in areas ranging from digital governance to digital self-determination.

Both Switzerland and India may work together to address climate change and its impact on security.

There are convergences in Swiss and Indian priorities at the UN Security Council. Switzerland has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC and desires to make the UNSC, an effective institution through the process of greater transparency as well as accountability. On similar lines, India has also been advocating for similar reform in the United Nations Security Council.

Both countries are committed to a robust and effective multilateral system. With reliable voices, both countries can together contribute to the global good.

Both countries have a convergence of the shared democratic values and foreign policy independence.