Everything You Need To Know About India-Switzerland Relations

India’s policy of “non-alignment” and Switzerland’s longtime policy of “neutrality” brought the two countries closer during the cold war. In 1948, the two countries made a deal to be friends. Both of them believe in democracy and different kinds of people. India Switzerland’s trade relations grew as Switzerland imports from India, cultural beliefs matched and many more.

From 1971 to 1976, Switzerland fought in the Bangladesh conflict on the side of India.

India-Switzerland Relations: Politics and Diplomacy

• Since 2005, the two countries have been talking about politics.
• Bilateral deals have helped with trade, education, immigration, taxes, and working together on research and technology.
• In 2018, it will be 70 years since India and Switzerland signed a friendship treaty, which was signed in 1948.
• VVIPs, consulate officials, and special representatives from other countries also participate.
• Switzerland’s President has said that Switzerland backs India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) (NSG).
• Swiss-Indian Friendship: Connecting Minds—Inspiring the Future is a brand-new project in the country.

India-Switzerland Relations: Research and Education

• The Swiss government gives out India Excellence Scholarships first.
• India and Switzerland worked together on the India-Switzerland Joint Research Program.
• The Swissnex India effort includes science, education, the arts, and creative ideas.
• The many things the Swiss have done to make the Swiss Dual Vocational Educational System available to as many Indians as possible have been good for the country’s growth.
• The Swiss Indian Chamber of Commerce built the Indo-Swiss Centre of Excellence in Pune. It will focus on buildings that use less energy, green ways to deal with water and waste, and renewable energy.

India-Switzerland Relations: Business Ties

Let’s discuss the India-Switzerland trade relations.

• Switzerland imports from India as a partner in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Switzerland has been making more money than it spends on trade for a long time.
• Jobs have been created thanks to direct Swiss investments in India, which is good.
• At the World Economic Forum, there have been Indian delegations.
• Both governments signed a contract that says they will share tax information automatically.
• India and Switzerland set up the Joint Economic Commission in 1959.
• The India-Switzerland Financial Dialogue came to an accord in 2011.
• In 2016, India and the EFTA met for the 14th time to talk about the TEPA.

India-Switzerland Relations: Culture

• Le Corbusier, the painter Alice Boner, and other Swiss intellectuals and artists have impacted India’s growth.
• Switzerland is where a lot of popular Bollywood movies are made.
• Both countries want to share what makes them unique.
• Both of these places get a lot of tourists, too.
• On November 14, 2007, in honour of the International Day of Peace and Nonviolence, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi was put up in Geneva’s Ariana Park.
• On August 30, 2013, a party was held in Saas Fe, in the Alps, to honour Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birthday.
• In 2011, the University of Lausanne (UNIL) built a Tagore Chair for Hindi (UNIL). Several sessions have already gone off without a hitch.
• Many yoga schools held large public practices in Switzerland on June 21 to celebrate the International Day of Yoga.
• Adding to the process of growth and development is:
• The main topics of Development and Cooperation work are climate change and global warming.
• Ms Swaminathan works for the Swiss Development Cooperation on food security and climate change.
• Switzerland is helping local governments in CapaCITIES use fewer carbon gases.
• The Swiss Gotthard base tunnel is now ready for business and is the world’s longest railroad tunnel.
• There is cooperation on other issues affecting the world, like ensuring enough food and water.
• About 18,000 Indians live in Switzerland, and more than 6,300 Swiss passport holders are of Indian descent (Swiss passport holders).

Here are the next steps:

• The two countries should work together more to help each other and work together to solve problems around the world.
• If e-visas can be made available to more people, more people will be able to talk to each other.
• Both countries should use this chance to work toward free trade and economic deals.
• Transportation, energy, vocational education and training, and digitalisation must be worked on together.
• When it comes to climate policy, both countries must work together.
• India needs to deal with the problem of illegal money hidden in Swiss banks.
• M.S. Swaminathan says, “India and Switzerland may work together because they both want to work on sustainable development.”
• Switzerland is the best in the world regarding technology and new ideas. This could help Indian small and medium-sized businesses grow.

Conclusion:

The Indian Minister asked Switzerland to help India and South Africa ask the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for a TRIPS exception (WTO).

South Africa and India have asked the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to freeze intellectual property rights related to COVID-19 so that vaccines and other technology to fight the disease can be shared fairly.

With a temporary restriction, more people could start making the product instead of just the small number of people who own the patent.