Our Correspondent
India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal began his official five-day tour to Switzerland and Sweden on June 9, with a clear focus on strengthening India’s strategic and economic ties with key European partners. The visit, which will continue till June 13, aims to promote trade, investment, innovation, and sustainable growth between India and these two important economies.
High-Level Engagements in Switzerland
In Switzerland, Goyal is scheduled to hold a series of high-level meetings with top global CEOs, senior government officials, and influential leaders from the Swiss business community. Discussions will primarily revolve around sector-specific collaboration in pharmaceuticals, life sciences, precision engineering, machine tools, and high-tech manufacturing.
One of the key highlights of this leg is his meeting with Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, which is expected to advance bilateral trade ties and overall diplomatic engagement.
Goyal will also engage in one-on-one discussions with heads of major Swiss firms, accompanied by a delegation of Indian industry representatives, to explore direct business opportunities and collaborative ventures. He will participate in the Swissmem Industry Day and a Business Round Table with members of the Swiss Mechanical and Electrical (MEM) Industry, where the focus will be on the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).
In addition, Goyal will interact with the Zurich Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and speak with members of the Indian media during his stay.
Strengthening Ties with Sweden
Following his Swiss engagements, the Minister will travel to Sweden, where he will co-chair the 21st Indo-Swedish Joint Commission for Economic, Industrial, and Scientific Cooperation (JCEISC) with Benjamin Dousa, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.
In Sweden, bilateral meetings are also scheduled with Håkan Jevrell, State Secretary to the Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade. Goyal will participate in the India-Sweden Business Leaders’ Round Table and conduct one-on-one discussions with leaders from Swedish industry giants including Ericsson, Volvo Group, IKEA, Sandvik, Alfa Laval, and SAAB.
This visit underscores India’s growing focus on building deeper partnerships in innovation, green technologies, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing with Europe.
