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IP dialogue to resume between Switzerland and India
On 26 August 2025, Switzerland and India agreed to resume their dialogue on intellectual property (IP). The decision follows the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and India, which was signed on 24 March 2024 and comes into force on 1 October 2025. The dialogue will provide a platform to directly discuss and address challenges relating to IP without any red tape.
The dialogue had been suspended during the free trade negotiations. Following the successful conclusion of the negotiations in March 2024, and with the agreement soon coming into force, the time has come to resume the meetings. In addition to regular exchanges on all key issues in the area of IP, the dialogue also offers a forum for the authorities responsible for IP in both countries to share their experiences. The aim is to strengthen cooperation between Switzerland and India in bilateral relations and in international organisations.
In 2007, the former Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard and the Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath signed a memorandum of understanding and expressed their intention to collaborate more closely to protect and promote intellectual property. The IP dialogue was recently relaunched at a meeting between the Indian Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Prof. Dr Unnat Pandit, and the Director General of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), Dr Catherine Chammartin, on the sidelines of the IP Week in Singapore. Catherine Chammartin commented: “The resumption of the IP dialogue between Switzerland and India is an important step in the relations between both countries. It encourages an exchange of experiences and serves as a platform to directly discuss and address challenges relating to IP without any red tape. The dialogue responds to an interest of the Swiss economy, sends an important message to innovative companies and builds mutual understanding and trust.” The first IP dialogue is expected to take place early 2026 in India.
Round table for rights holders
Industry representatives and IP specialists in companies will have the opportunity to participate in an annual stakeholder round table on IP. Rights holders from both sides can pose questions to the authorities and directly raise their concerns with them.
In the federal administration, the IPI is responsible for the bilateral dialogue and leads the meetings in cooperation with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and other federal offices.
For further information
Ursula Siegfried
Deputy Head of International Trade Relations
Legal & International Affairs Division
Landline: +41 31 377 72 40
Mobile: +41 79 460 99 83