Swiss President Guy Parmelin's State Visit: India and Switzerland sign five pacts including a Migration and Mobility Partnership
On 5 October 2026, PM Modi and Swiss President Guy Parmelin held talks in New Delhi; the two sides exchanged five MoUs/agreements, including a Migration and Mobility Partnership and a Young Professionals exchange of 300 persons a year.
Summary
Swiss President Guy Parmelin began a State Visit to India (5–7 October 2026) and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, on 5 October. The two sides exchanged five documents: an MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership, an Agreement on Exchange of Young Professionals, an MoU on transport and infrastructure with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, a DST–Swiss National Science Foundation Letter of Intent and a DST–Zurich University of Applied Sciences arrangement. The visit coincides with the first anniversary of the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which came into force on 1 October 2025. President Droupadi Murmu received the Swiss President at Rashtrapati Bhavan and hosted a banquet in his honour.
Key facts
- Visit
- State Visit, 5–7 October 2026
- Swiss President
- Guy Parmelin
- Documents exchanged
- 5 (MoUs, agreement, LoI, implementation arrangement)
- Mobility MoU
- Multiple-entry visas up to 5 years; renewable 1-year student permits
- Young Professionals
- 300 per country per year (may rise to 500)
- India–EFTA TEPA
- Signed March 2024; in force 1 October 2025
- TEPA targets
- USD 100 billion investment, 1 million direct jobs in 15 years
- Next AI Summit
- Geneva, June 2027
Background
- Mobility MoU: multiple-entry visas of up to 5 years with stays of up to 6 months per visit, and renewable 1-year student permits.
- Young Professionals Agreement: exchange of 300 persons per country every year, which may rise to 500.
- TEPA: India’s first FTA with an economic bloc in Europe; signed in March 2024; aims at USD 100 billion investment in India and 1 million direct jobs over 15 years.
- Leaders agreed to explore defence (military exchanges, defence production) and nuclear-energy cooperation; a Prosperity Summit with India–EFTA business leaders is set for 7 October.
- MEA: first bilateral visit by a Swiss President in nearly a decade (after Doris Leuthard, August 2017); Switzerland will host the next AI Summit in Geneva in June 2027.
Practice MCQs 5 questions
In October 2026, which President of the Swiss Confederation made a State Visit to India?
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Correct answer: B — Guy Parmelin
Under the India–Switzerland Agreement on Exchange of Young Professionals signed in October 2026, how many persons per country can be exchanged every year initially?
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Correct answer: C — 300
The India–Switzerland MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership (October 2026) provides for multiple-entry visas of up to how many years?
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Correct answer: A — 5 years
Consider the following statements about the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA): 1. It came into force on 1 October 2025. 2. It is India’s first FTA with any economic bloc in Europe. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
According to MEA (October 2026), where will Switzerland host the next AI Summit in June 2027?
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Correct answer: D — Geneva