GROW WITH INDIA: BEYOND BORDERS

Davos, Switzerland: Vis Legis Law Practice (VLLP), in collaboration with the Swiss Business Hub India, hosted the high-level forum “Grow With India: Beyond Borders” on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, bringing together policymakers, institutional leaders, and global business stakeholders to advance economic cooperation between India and Switzerland as well as other EFTA Countries.

The forum highlighted VLLP’s role in convening dialogue at the intersection of law, policy, and business, and its commitment to strengthening long-term commercial engagement between the two regions to promote sustainable growth on both sides.

Mr opened the session.
Nihaar Binda Thackeray, Managing Partner at VLLP, set the tone with his opening remarks on the strategic importance of a resilient and forward-looking India–Switzerland business partnership. He emphasised the need for greater institutional trust, regulatory clarity, and advisory frameworks that enable businesses to navigate complex cross-border environments and convert opportunities into execution.

Reinforcing the political and policy dimension of the bilateral relationship, Dr. h.c. Nik Gugger, Member of Parliament of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland and President of the Swiss-India Parliamentary Group, reiterated the Swiss Government’s commitment to advancing economic cooperation with India. He highlighted ongoing efforts to facilitate trade and the importance of sustained parliamentary and governmental engagement to strengthen bilateral ties.

The forum also featured insights from Swiss Global Enterprise, with Mr Luka Degiovannini, Regional Director APAC & Southern Switzerland, outlining the organisation’s expanding role in supporting Swiss companies’ global expansion and the growing strategic interest in India as a manufacturing, innovation, and market destination.

Further reinforcing the trade agenda, Mr Florin Müller, Head of Swiss Business Hub India at the Consulate General of Switzerland in Mumbai, delivered a detailed presentation on the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), explaining its structure, objectives, and the opportunities it creates for businesses operating across sectors in both regions.

Mr Chintan Thorat, Risk Analysis Partner at VLLP, offered a strategic perspective on navigating rapidly changing markets, arguing for a broader understanding of geopolitical risk. Drawing on his work in political economy, he emphasised that political risk extends beyond governments and policies to encompass society, identity, local power structures, and their interactions with markets and institutions.

Referencing disruptions such as Ukraine and Brexit, as well as local dynamics in markets like India and Yemen, Thorat highlighted a key imbalance in corporate strategy. While nearly 80% of business risk is political, only about 20% of strategic attention is devoted to understanding it.

He called for a new risk-assessment framework that moves beyond country-level models to incorporate political, economic, geographic, cultural, and sociological factors at national, state, and local levels—reflecting how political economy operates on the ground.

Aligning with emerging thinking at the World Economic Forum, he concluded that while policy frameworks create opportunity, long-term success depends on a deep understanding of local political economy.

Mr Colonel Chandoke, Director at the Swiss–Indian Chamber of Commerce (SICC), spoke on the evolving India–Switzerland trade relationship, highlighting the significance of the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) in deepening bilateral economic engagement. He emphasised the critical role of institutions such as the SICC in facilitating trade, investment, and sustained collaboration between the two countries.

Mr Chandoke also expressed his appreciation to Vis Legis Law Practice (VLLP) for convening the dialogue and creating a platform for informed discussion on trade, policy, and cross-border cooperation.

The forum concluded with a shared recognition that Frameworks like TEPA, institutions such as the Swiss Business Hub, India and the Swiss Indian Chamber of Commerce, and informed risk analysis, together create an ecosystem where cross-border investments can thrive with confidence and clarity.