"India will be world's premier manufacturing, service hub": Swiss Secretary lauds India-EFTA Trade Economic Partnership Agreement
free trade pact between India and the four-nation bloc European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Helene Budliger Artieda, affirmed that India will be world's premier manufacturing and service hub.
She also said that the quality goods from India will get a very open market in Switzerland, adding that the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) will also open job opportunities for the Indian youth.
Speaking to ANI, the Swiss Secretary said, «It's a massive moment of joy for us. We've been negotiating this agreement for more than 16 years...I'm completely delighted that we managed to push it through during the past eight months.»
«It's momentous for us because of the size of the Indian market. But we're not only betting on the size of the Indian market, we believe in the Indian story,» she added.
Affirming that India will be the premier manufacturing and service center of the world, she said that it was important for Switzerland to be among the first group of European countries to sign the agreement with India.
«This is the time of India and we believe that India will be the premier manufacturing and service hub of the world. And so for us, it was truly important that we also came in first, as a group of European countries,» she said.
Opening up on the TEPA agreement, Artieda said that Switzerland has granted over 99 per cent of access to Indian goods due to which the Indian goods will find a very open market.
«Switzerland has granted over 99 per cent of access
