Swiss President Guy Parmelin was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday as part of his three-day State visit to India, during which the two countries will review bilateral cooperation and explore opportunities to deepen their partnership.
In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Parmelin received a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. “The ceremonial welcome reflects the warmth and longstanding friendship between India and Switzerland,” he said.
Parmelin was earlier received at the airport by Minister of State Ajay Tamta and accorded a ceremonial static guard. Announcing his arrival, Jaiswal said the visit would further strengthen the bilateral partnership.
The Swiss President is visiting India from October 5 to 7 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior officials and business leaders.
This is Parmelin’s first State visit to India and his second visit to the country this year. He previously travelled to New Delhi in February 2026 to participate in the AI Impact Summit.
PM Modi and Parmelin are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions on October 5 to review cooperation in trade and investment, science, technology and innovation, mobility, culture and people-to-people contacts. They will also exchange views on regional and global developments, including cooperation in multilateral forums.
Parmelin will meet President Droupadi Murmu, who will host an official banquet in his honour. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is also scheduled to call on the Swiss President.
The visit assumes added significance as Parmelin will participate in the second India–EFTA Prosperity Summit on October 7, marking the first anniversary of the India–European Free Trade Association Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement coming into force. Switzerland is India’s largest trade and investment partner among EFTA countries.
India and Switzerland share longstanding friendly relations supported by regular high-level exchanges. The last State visit by an Indian President to Switzerland took place in 2019. PM Modi paid an official visit to Switzerland in 2016 and visited again in 2018.
Parmelin’s visit is expected to build on these exchanges and deepen cooperation in new areas of mutual interest.
