New Delhi: In a significant step towards deepening economic ties with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, along with the EFTA bloc represented by Helene Budliger Artieda, Swiss State Secretary, Tomas Norvoll, State Secretary of Trade and Industry, Norway, Martin Eyjolfsson, Permanent Secretary of State, Iceland, Dominique Hasler, Minister of External Affairs, Education, and Sport, Liechtenstein, Markus Schlagenhof, Deputy Secretary General, EFTA Secretariat, and David Sveinbhornsson, Senior Officer, EFTA Secretariat, will inaugurate the EFTA desk at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on Friday, 10 February 2025.

The initiative, in line with Chapter 7 of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which was signed on 10 March 2024, aims to serve as a dedicated platform to promote trade, investment, and business facilitation between India and the four EFTA nations—Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. The inauguration ceremony will be attended by senior officials from the Government of India and high-ranking dignitaries from EFTA member states.

Senior officials from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) will also address the gathering, outlining India’s vision for stronger economic engagement with EFTA nations.

The India-EFTA dedicated desk will act as a centralised support mechanism for EFTA companies looking to expand in India. It will provide market insights and regulatory guidance, business matchmaking, and assistance in navigating India’s policy and investment landscape.

Post-inauguration, a high-level EFTA-India business roundtable will convene, featuring over 100 leading businesses from India and EFTA nations, aimed at fostering collaboration across key sectors, including pharmaceuticals and life sciences, financial services and fintech, mechanical and electrical engineering, energy and sustainability, seafood and maritime, and food processing and agritech. The roundtable will provide a structured forum for companies to explore joint ventures, investment opportunities, and technology partnerships under the framework of TEPA.

BI Bureau