Science diplomacy has become a key pillar of India's engagement with European partners. Examine with reference to India–Switzerland STI cooperation.

Science diplomacy means using research partnerships to build trust and serve foreign-policy goals. India–Switzerland ties show this well. The 2003 S&T Cooperation Agreement [2] has grown into the Indo-Swiss Research Framework (ISRF), which was presented in October 2026 [1].

Institutional foundation

• The Indo-Swiss Joint Research Programme (ISJRP, 2005) funds joint projects in areas of strategic importance to both countries [3]. A Joint Committee on S&T has met since 2011 to review cooperation [2].
• The ISRF adds "Explore" networking grants co-funded by DST and SNSF, a DST–SNSF Letter of Intent and the AIT India academia-industry training programme run with ZHAW [1].

How science serves diplomacy

• Political signalling: Swiss President Guy Parmelin attended the 2026 flagship event in person [1].
• Shared mountain challenges: MoES–SNSF cooperation has supported 4 cryosphere projects [1], and a 2026 call targets natural hazards in mountain regions [3]. This strengthens Himalayan disaster resilience.
• Health and ethics: DBT–ICMR–SNSF One Health research, and ICSSR–SNSF work on AI ethics and digital governance [1].
• Economic link: STI cooperation complements the India–EFTA TEPA, under which EFTA aims to bring USD 100 bn of FDI over 15 years [4].

Limitations

• Thin R&D footprint: only 30 of about 330 Swiss firms in India run R&D centres [2].
• Slow follow-through: the Joint Committee first met eight years after the 2003 Agreement. The 2016 skills MoU has lapsed, and Switzerland ended the Tagore Chair MoU in 2023 [2].
• Fragmented funding: five Indian agencies (DST, DBT, MoES, ICMR and ICSSR) deal with one main Swiss funder, SNSF [1].
• IPR questions: One Health and AIT India results will need co-ownership rules. These should fit the 2007 IP MoU [2] and India's TRIPS-level stance in TEPA [4].

Way forward

• Hold the Joint Committee every year and publish what it achieves.
• Create a route from "Explore" grants into full ISJRP projects.
• Feed glacier research into early-warning systems for glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

India–Switzerland STI cooperation shows science diplomacy moving from one-off project grants to a framework that links research, investment and shared mountain challenges. Regular review, coordinated Indian funding and agreed IP terms can turn it into lasting results. This would advance SDG 9 and SDG 17 and make science a lasting pillar of India's European engagement.