NEW DELHI — On the occasion of the official State Visit of the President of the Swiss Confederation to India, both nations signed a series of high-level Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), Agreements, and Letters of Intent (LoIs) spanning mobility, sustainable transportation, scientific research, and innovation.
The bilateral deliverables mark a strategic expansion of economic, academic, and technological cooperation following the execution of the India-EFTA trade framework.
Signed Agreements, MoUs & Memoranda
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MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership (MMP): Establishes a formal framework for mobility cooperation, combatting irregular migration, and combating human exploitation. Provisions include long-term multiple-entry visas valid for up to 5 years (with 6-month stays per visit) and renewable 1-year student permits.
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Agreement on Exchange of Young Professionals (YPS): Governs temporary professional exchanges to enhance technical and linguistic skills. Allows an initial cap of 300 candidates annually per country (expandable to 500) with a 30/90-day verification timeline for nationality and residency status.
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MoU on Transportation Technologies & Mobility Infrastructure: Signed between India’s Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Switzerland’s Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER). Focuses on electric vehicles, ropeway technology, tunneling, circular economy integration, and sustainable transport networks.
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Letter of Intent (LoI) on Scientific Cooperation: Executed between the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) to facilitate exploratory joint research and build long-term scientific partnerships.
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Implementation Arrangement (IA) on Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Agreement between DST and Zurich University of Applied Sciences to run the Indo–Swiss Academia–Industry Training (AIT India) program, supporting early-stage startups through exchange workshops and capacity building.
Official Bilateral Announcements
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Indo-Swiss Research Flagship Event: Launch of the inaugural session of the Indo-Swiss Research Flagship initiative in direct collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology
