BENGALURU: As many as 20 startups and companies from Switzerland are set to visit India and Bengaluru, and possibly collaborate on various projects as part of Cleantech Week Tour, this December.
It is being facilitated by Swissnex India, an organsaition within the Swiss Consulate General, which promotes education, innovation and research collaborations in India. The delegation will visit the city for two days.
In a statement to CE, Conny Camenzind, deputy consul general of Switzerland in Bengaluru, says, “Swissnex India, in association with theSwiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), will bring in Swiss startups, researchers, innovative companies and industry experts who deal in three areas — energy storage, mobility and solar PV sectors.”
The delegation will also attend and participate in Intersolar India, an exhibition and conference for the solar, energy storage and electric mobility industries, scheduled between December 11 to 13.Besides Bengaluru, the delegation will explore opportunities in Mumbai and Pune. “We're co-organising this immersion programme with the Consulate General of Switzerland in Mumbai, Swiss Business Hub, India, and Swiss Cooperation Office, New Delhi.
India's energy sector has taken an aggressive growth approach, and it's the perfect time for Switzerland to take a closer look at it. Our aim is to connect Swiss and Indian energy experts to exchange practices, foster technology partnerships, collaborate to innovate, and co-create a green future,” adds Camenzind.
Gaganjot Kaur, manager, University Partnerships, Swissnex India, tells CE that the organisation has had long-standing partnerships with a number of educational institutions in India, as well as top institutes in Bengaluru, such as the Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru, to name a few. “We wanted to connect academics with the industry and explore various avenues in the three aforementioned areas. We may also explore joint product development and other collaborations. A few of the delegates will also give a talk during the Intersolar conference,” she adds.
The delegation will also include companies that make “social innovation products”, such as grid solutions to India's power problems and solar lamps, to name a few.In August last year, during Doris Leuthard's visit, the then-president of the Swiss Confederation to India, clean technology was recognised as one of the key areas for bilateral cooperation between the two countries.