Switzerland and India: new agreements on migration and employment

Context

TL;DR

• October 5, 2026: Parmelin meets Indian leaders
• Switzerland and India sign two agreements
• TEPA: one year since its entry into force with EFTA
• AI summit in Geneva in spring 2027

Key facts

• Date → 5 October 2026
• Location → New Delhi
• Meetings → Guy Parmelin, Droupadi Murmu and Narendra Modi
• Agreements → migration and exchange of young professionals
• Negotiator → State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)
• Trade framework → TEPA between India and EFTA States
• Next summit → Geneva AI summit, spring 2027
• Economic event → Prosperity Summit India-EFTA, 7 October

Agreements and visit agenda

On 5 October 2026, in New Delhi, President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian President Droupadi Murmu, as well as with other representatives of the Indian government. The talks with Modi focused on economic exchanges and cooperation in education and research.

The state visit took place ahead of the eightieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and India, which will be celebrated in 2028. Trade policy occupied a central place at the summit: the visit coincided with the first anniversary of the entry into force of the TEPA between India and the EFTA States.

Both sides described the TEPA as a positive signal in an era of global uncertainty and stressed that implementation is proceeding according to plan. Parmelin highlighted the strong interest of Swiss companies in the Indian market.

The talks covered the new bilateral agreement on investment protection, whose negotiations are at an advanced stage, as well as issues relating to the protection of intellectual property. In the scientific field, the President of the Swiss Confederation confirmed his commitment to making the partnership even stronger.

Migration, mobility and young workers

Switzerland and India expressed their appreciation for the two agreements concluded through negotiations conducted by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). The partnership on migration and mobility strengthens the already well-established cooperation between the two countries and expands exchanges in the fields of education, science and the labour market, while also supporting legal mobility. It also provides rules for the readmission of people required to leave the country and joint initiatives against irregular entry, human trafficking and document forgery.

The second agreement, dedicated to the exchange of young workers, allows young citizens of the two countries to undertake a period of training or further education in the other country, fostering the development of their professional and linguistic skills.

The international agenda

During their talks, Parmelin and Modi examined the development of artificial intelligence and also discussed democracy, geopolitics, the UN and multilateralism. For Switzerland, the AI summit planned in Geneva for spring 2027 follows in the footsteps of the one organised by India this year. The programme also includes meetings in the economic sphere, a visit to Noida International Airport, which is managed by a subsidiary of Zurich Airport, an event on scientific cooperation and the second Prosperity Summit India-EFTA, scheduled for 7 October.

Operational details

The practical implications of the two agreements

The communiqué allows a concrete reading for those who live or work in Switzerland: the relationship with India is structured through different channels, each with a clearly identifiable objective. The first agreement concerns migration and mobility; the second concerns young workers and training or further-education stays. Separating the two areas prevents every initiative from being read as a generic opening of the labor market.

The distinction that matters to citizens and businesses

For a young Swiss or Indian citizen, the practical point of reference is the exchange that allows a stay in the other State. The outcome indicated by the source is not only the training experience: it also includes professional and language skills. The migration component, by contrast, has a broader scope and includes training, science, the labor market and legal mobility, along with readmission and cooperation against irregular migration, human trafficking and document forgery. The two agreements complement each other, but they do not serve the same purpose.

For Swiss companies, the key dossiers to follow are TEPA implementation, investment protection and intellectual property protection. The communiqué presents implementation of the agreement as proceeding according to plan and the investment negotiations as advanced: for this reason, it is advisable to distinguish what is already covered by TEPA from what remains the subject of bilateral talks. The visit by the business delegation and the stop at Noida International Airport, managed by a subsidiary of Aeroporto di Zurigo, also give the mission a business dimension.

For research, the focus is different: scientific cooperation was reaffirmed, and the program includes a high-level event. Artificial intelligence adds an international dimension, linked to the Geneva summit in spring 2027 and to the role of the UN and multilateralism. For Switzerland, therefore, the agenda is not only commercial.

For those who want to supplement the institutional reading with initial guidance on working in Switzerland, there are the annunci di lavoro; for the business side, the aziende che assumono.

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Key points

How to navigate now

Those who live or work in Switzerland and want to understand which of the two agreements concerns them can turn the communiqué into a small working framework. The aim is to direct each question to the correct channel and keep training, mobility, business and research separate.

Four operational steps

1. Define the topic. A question about migration, legal mobility, readmission or cooperation against irregular migration should be linked to the partnership on migration and mobility. A question about a training or professional development stay for young citizens should be linked to the agreement on the exchange of young workers.

2. Clarify the objective of the request. In the text devoted to young workers, the source indicates the promotion of professional and language skills. In the migration partnership, by contrast, the scope also includes training, science and the labor market. This distinction makes the question to be submitted to SEM more precise.

3. Separate the economic dimension from the individual one. If the matter concerns a Swiss company, the topics indicated are the implementation of TEPA, investment protection, intellectual property and scientific cooperation. If it concerns a young person, the reference remains the training or professional development stay in the other state. These are not the same path.

4. Use the contact indicated in the communiqué. For questions relating to the Migration and Mobility Partnership and the agreement on the exchange of young workers, the source indicates SEM Information and Communication at [email protected]. In the message, it is advisable to specify which of the two agreements is of interest and whether the matter concerns mobility, training or professional exchange.

The next dates to follow

On the mission's calendar, the second Prosperity Summit India-AELS is scheduled for October 7 and brings together government and business representatives to discuss new investment and cooperation opportunities. The Geneva AI summit, on the other hand, is scheduled for spring 2027. Keeping these two appointments distinct helps follow the economic dossier and the technology dossier separately. To assess the effect of a potential opportunity on your income, use the calcolatore stipendio.