Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Switzerland plans Consulate General office in Bangalore

CHENNAI: Switzerland plans to open a Consulate General office in Bangalore next year, Peter E. Specker, Consul-General of Switzerland, Swiss Consulate, Mumbai, said on Wednesday.

Addressing the media on the sidelines of a Switzerland business conference, Mr. Specker said the Consulate General office, which might be established by March, would benefit the Switzerland-bound entrepreneurs, business travellers and tourists from this part of the country who travelled to Mumbai for getting their visa and meeting other requirements.

The conference, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), was led by a delegation of officials from the Swiss Embassy, trade, investment and consultancy.

Mr. Specker said it was also proposed to attach a unit of Swissnex, a network of science and technology outposts, to the Bangalore office. Swissnex, run by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education and Research (SER), in cooperation with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), is a key component of the Swiss strategic policy for promotion of education, research and innovation set by the Federal Council. “The purpose is to deepen the relationships between Indian and Swiss scientific and research institutions.”

Currently, Swissnex has offices in Boston, San Francisco, Beijing and Shanghai.

Switzerland is also opening up to travellers with Schengen Visa from December, Mr. Specker said. Those with Schengen Visa may visit any European member-country for leisure, tourism, or business with a single visa. So far, Switzerland, which is one of the three non-EU countries to have signed the Schengen Agreement, has not implemented the common border control and visa provisions.

The Swiss Consul General saw tremendous potential for bilateral business to grow from the current 2 billion Swiss francs of exports (instruments, chemicals and fertilizers) and 1 billion Swiss francs of import of agricultural products and textiles from India. Experts identified biotechnology, nanotechnology and management education as areas where Indo-Swiss synergy could be mutually beneficial.

Christian Watts, regional director, Swiss business hub for IMEA (India, Middle East and Africa), said though Switzerland was not a member of the European Union, its economy was integrated with the European market. “Investors can enjoy the shade of the Swiss umbrella even while keeping the doors to the European economy open.”

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