Harnessing The Power Of Diaspora: Accelerating India-Switzerland Collaborations Through The India-Swiss Business Forum

As India and Switzerland move closer to ratifying the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), a new chapter in bilateral relations is unfolding, opening immense possibilities across sectors such as technology, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, finance, and sustainability.

While organizations such as Swiss Embassy, Swissnex, Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), the Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce, and the Swiss Business Hub India and many others have successfully laid robust foundations for collaborative opportunities between the two nations, a complementary and powerful resource remains relatively untapped—the vibrant Indian diaspora residing in Switzerland. 

With over 25,000 individuals, the Indian diaspora in Switzerland represents an influential community of professionals, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders uniquely positioned to bridge opportunities between Indian enterprises and Swiss businesses.

Recognizing this untapped potential, the India-Swiss Business Forum was created in 2024, to promote both cultural and dynamic business environment across Indian and Swiss economies. In this context the Forum has emerged as a dynamic community-driven platform aimed explicitly at engaging the Indian diaspora in Switzerland to catalyze deeper bilateral business connections. 

Founded in Basel and facilitated primarily through digital channels such as WhatsApp group and Linkedin, the India-Swiss Business Forum is focused on harnessing the collective expertise, networks, and entrepreneurial spirit of its members.

By fostering dialogue, exchanging insights, and highlighting business opportunities aligned with TEPA, the forum not only supplements the work of existing entities but also creates new channels for collaboration driven by the diaspora's firsthand understanding of both Indian and Swiss markets. 

The forum also regularly shares news of important developments across India and Swiss ecosystems including various business and startup events, organizes knowledge-sharing sessions, networking events, and dialogue that enables members to directly participate in shaping and benefiting from emerging opportunities.

Additionally, the India-Swiss Business Forum acts as a valuable conduit for Swiss companies keen to explore partnerships in India, offering them direct access to trusted connections and culturally attuned insights provided by diaspora members.

Recently the India-Swiss Business forum organized a Healthtech beyond borders event in collaboration with Healthtech Collective ecosystem to showcase 5 promising Healthtech startups to the Swiss Healthcare innovation community. The forum aims to organize many such events over the coming months. 

Debraj Dasgupta who lives in Basel, Switzerland and has created the India-Swiss Business Forum said ‘As India and Switzerland stand on the threshold of enhanced trade relations, leveraging the diaspora’s insight and networks through initiatives like the India-Swiss Business Forum will be crucial.

By mobilizing this vibrant community, the forum aims not only to amplify existing institutional efforts but also to paves the way for a new era of dynamic, inclusive, and impactful bilateral collaborations.

The TEPA agreement between India and EFTA countries that came into force from 1^st Oct 2025 creates further opportunities for closer business collaboration between India and Swiss business entities and India-Swiss Business Forum is happy to play a part in nburturing this ecosystem. 

The Forum’s Indian activities is being supported by Communication Veteran,  Sunil Goenka, Founder of Nova Realtime Solutions LLP. Goenka is in the forefront for fostering business growth ecosystems across sectors.

Published on: Wednesday, October 08, 2025, 08:26 PM IST