Industries Minister TRB Rajaa Hails SICCI for Hosting EFTA Business Summit in Tamil Nadu
Chennai:
Port Wings News Network:
The Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) in collaboration with the Guidance Tamil Nadu on 8 October organized Tamil Nadu EFTA Business Summit 2025 in Chennai.
The Summit, organized against the backdrop of the landmark India–European Free Trade Association, Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, which pledges $100 billion investment and one million jobs in India and to highlight Tamil Nadu’s strengths in automobiles, electronics, IT, textiles, renewable energy, and start-ups thus positioning the state to capture a major share of these opportunities, saw participation of senior representatives from Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.
Addressing the gathering during the Summit, V N Shiva Shankar, Senior Vice President, SICCI, said: “The India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) was a historic milestone, paving the way for over $100 billion in investments over the next 15 years.”
He noted that Tamil Nadu, one of India’s top states in GDP and exports, offered EFTA partners strong policy stability, skilled talent, and innovation-driven industries.
“To advance this partnership, SICCI, along with Guidance TN and EY, will establish a Tamil Nadu–EFTA Business Facilitation Desk, host annual EFTA Roundtables on emerging sectors, and promote B2B and academic collaborations. These initiatives aimed to build a sustainable roadmap for long-term cooperation and mutual growth,” added Shankar.
Speaking on the occasion, V. Arun Roy, I.A.S., Secretary to Government, Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, said: “Strengthening partnerships between Tamil Nadu and Europe can enable co-created solutions, technology transfer, and cross-border investments to enhance industry competitiveness. It is vital to preserve our core industrial strengths while embracing innovation to thrive in the evolving global landscape.”
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Niklaus-Samuel Gugger, Member, Swiss National Council and President, Switzerland-India, Parliamentary Friendship Group, said that the key priority would be to focus on relationships and look to build trust. He expressed his belief that such an approach would lead to community building and fulfill the potential of the agreement.
Delivering the chief guest address, T. R. B. Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotions and Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu, said: “Government of Tamil Nadu aims to make the state as the quality capital of the world. We are now quality capital of India, and now we are aiming to attain the status of quality capital of the world. Earlier, the industries in the state looked up to precision engineering from Switzerland as a benchmark, but time has to explore new opportunities and focus on quality through the agreement.”
He also expressed hope that the state would build meaningful partnership with Norway on Shipbuilding & Blue Economy while the geothermal capabilities of Iceland could also be leveraged.
Rajaa also called for the creation of a working group with time bound targets to ensure that the full potential of the agreement is harnessed.
Maya Tissafi, Ambassador of Switzerland to India and Bhutan, Embassy of Switzerland, New Delhi, Benedikt Höskuldsson, Ambassador of Iceland to India, Embassy of Iceland, New Delhi, and Bjørn Iversen, Head of Innovation Norway & Commercial Counsellor, Royal Norwegian Embassy, also addressed the gathering and emphasized about the opportunities for the stakeholders. AMPA Palaniappan, Vice President, SICCI, delivered the concluding remarks.
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