Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday as he began a three-day State visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Swiss leader received a Guard of Honour in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, marking the formal commencement of his first-ever State visit to India.

President Parmelin arrived in India on October 5 and will remain in the country until October 7. The visit is focused on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, science, technology, innovation, workforce mobility, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

He is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior government officials and business leaders, underlining the strong economic and commercial dimension of the visit.

This is Parmelin's second visit to India in 2026, having previously travelled to New Delhi in February to participate in the AI Impact Summit, where he also engaged with Indian leaders on emerging technology cooperation.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi and President Parmelin are scheduled to hold extensive bilateral discussions reviewing progress across key sectors, including commerce, investment, scientific collaboration, innovation, mobility and cultural engagement. The two leaders will also exchange views on major regional and international developments and cooperation in multilateral forums.

President Parmelin is also set to meet President Droupadi Murmu, who will host an official banquet in his honour. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will separately call on the visiting Swiss leader during his stay.

A major highlight of the visit will be Parmelin's participation in the second India-EFTA Prosperity Summit on October 7, commemorating the first anniversary of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA). The agreement has become a key pillar of economic engagement between India and the four-member European Free Trade Association comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Among EFTA nations, Switzerland remains India's largest trade and investment partner, making the relationship particularly significant as both countries seek deeper cooperation in advanced manufacturing, innovation, clean technologies, pharmaceuticals, financial services and high-value industries.

The visit also reflects the steady momentum in high-level bilateral engagement. The last State visit by an Indian President to Switzerland took place in 2019, while Prime Minister Modi visited the European nation in 2016 and 2018. The two countries have long enjoyed friendly relations founded on democratic values, mutual trust and regular diplomatic exchanges.

Indian officials view the visit as an opportunity to further deepen cooperation in emerging sectors while strengthening an already robust economic and strategic partnership between New Delhi and Bern.

ANI