India and Switzerland held talks to advance the implementation of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) and strengthen trade and investment engagement between two countries. For this, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal undertook an official visit to Switzerland from May 06-07, 2026. The visit focused on translating TEPA’s market-access outcomes into concrete business partnerships, investment commitments and greater industry utilization.
Both sides reviewed the progress achieved since TEPA became operational and discussed measures to expand trade and investment, strengthen regulatory cooperation, address non-tariff barriers and promote deeper business linkages. The Commerce Secretary emphasized the importance of resolving implementation-related issues at an early stage to enable enterprises on both sides to fully utilize the Agreement.
TEPA is India’s first trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) economies and the country’s first operational trade arrangement with a European economic bloc. The Agreement is expected to support deeper integration of Make in India products into European value chains, with Switzerland serving as an important gateway market. It also expands opportunities for farmers and fishermen, forest-based communities, workers, women and youth, as well as MSMEs and professionals.
