On the second day of our Focus India seminar in Switzerland, we had the opportunity to start the day with a yoga session led by Gaby Nägelin-Moser.

What an experience. Before we could start the yoga session, the project team gave us a short introduction to the topic.

The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means «to unite» and refers to a unity of body, mind and soul. In today’s yoga session, we were focusing on Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is an ancient Indian practice with a focus on integrating postures (asanas), breathing (pranayama), and meditation. This form of yoga starts in India around the 15th century. It’s often attributed to a sage named Gorakshanath, who is said to have compiled the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, one of the classic texts on Hatha Yoga.

Under the motto below, we set off for the first yoga session for most of us:

«Let us embrace the wisdom of yoga to cultivate deeper self-awareness, rooted in purpose, as we endeavor to forge meaningful connections and bridge the gap between the Swiss and Indian economies.»

Once all the mats had been distributed, we started the first Hatha Yoga session. The poses were explained and demonstrated to us in detail by Gaby. The first exercises we did focused on breathing. It was exciting to see how mindfulness increased with the conscious breathing exercises. However, it proved to be a great challenge to maintain awareness of breathing during the poses. Because if you concentrate on performing the exercise correctly, you lose focus on your breathing.

As time went on, the yoga poses got tougher. You could tell a big difference between the students who had done yoga before and those who were new to it. The ones who had done it before were much better at the poses. They seemed more comfortable and knew what to do, while the newbies found it more challenging, both physically and mentally.

In summary, we had an incredibly thrilling experience. We learned a lot, especially about being mindful of our own breathing. Additionally, we thoroughly enjoyed practicing different yoga poses. After this yoga class, we felt mentally awake and ready for a day full of new insights about India.
Looking ahead, we hope that we’ll have the chance to relive these experiences in India, allowing us to delve even deeper into the rich history of Hatha Yoga.
We would like to thank Gaby Nägelin-Moser for allowing us to immerse ourselves in the previously unknown world of yoga. Her guidance and expertise were invaluable.

– Written by Salome Wüthrich and Yannick Lüthi, FI Delegation

After a relaxing yet challenging yoga session, the second day of the Focus India Seminar in Switzerland continued with a speak by Suki Dusanj. Suki had just arrived in Switzerland from a trip to India the day before and her luggage is still on its way to Switzerland. However, this didn’t stopped Suki from sharing some cultural insights with the team. As we sipped our coffee, Suki began by explaining the meaning of the Indian national flag. The saffron top band symbolizes strength and courage, while the white middle band represents peace and truth and the green bottom band signifies growth of the land. At the center of the flag lies the Dharma Chakra. The Chakra symbolize the life in movement and death in stagnation.

Suki then gave a little overview of the Indian culture, which she termed as the “ABC of the Indian culture”. “A” stands for astrology, highlighting the significant role the position of stars play in people’s lives in India. It is common that Astrology influence many decisions such as making a specific business move or getting married. Moving on to “B”, the letter stands for Bollywood. India is known for its successful movie industry, with actors like Shah Rukh Khan reaching audiences worldwide. Lastly, “C” represents cricket, a sport deeply rooted in Indian culture. The excitement of the Indian people for this sport can be compared to the one of skiing in Switzerland. However, the Indian culture extends beyond these points, by having diverse religions. Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity are a few major faiths practiced across India. Each religion brings its own rituals and spiritual beliefs that collectively form a rich and complex religious landscape. Similarly, India shows a linguistic diversity, with numerous languages and dialects spoken throughout the nation. While Hindi serves as the official language, each state has its own linguistic heritage, contributing to thecountry’s culture. Therefore India’s cultural richness lies in its ability to embrace this diversity, creating a harmonious mix of traditions and beliefs. In addition India enjoys a colourful culinary experience with various flavours, spices and regional specialties. So trying coconut water in India is very much recommended. It is not just tasty but also refreshing particularly in the heat.

Furthermore, there is an enduring influence of Mahatma Gandi on Indian culture. His principles and teachings are still widely honoured. That is the reason why Suki gave the advice to not express negative opinions about Gandhi publicly, as it could be received unfavourably. She continued to share practical tips for visiting India, acknowledging that locals may stare at us, which is quite common. Reason for that is the different appearance. Suki suggested to confidently stare back rather than feeling uncomfortable. It is not meant negatively but rather a natural curiosity or appreciation.

Suki’s Dusanj provided valuable insights and advice for experiencing Indian culture during the upcoming trip. Therefore, the speak left the Focus India Team eager to explore India’s cultural richness.

Belimo, a renowned global player in HVAC solutions, recently engaged with our university, offering insights into its unique value creation model and company culture. Led by Leo Baumann, Head of Training, and Ma Jing, Senior Communication Manager, the presentation highlighted Belimo’s commitment to international collaboration and innovation.

Established in 1972 and headquartered in Hinwil, Switzerland, Belimo celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, exemplifying a rich history in the HVAC industry. The company operates in over 80 countries and has been listed on the Swiss stock exchange since 1995, attesting to its enduring growth and financial stability. Belimo’s products include indoor comfort, fire and smoke protection, ventilation systems, gas monitoring, heating systems, cooling systems, and cooling towers.

Belimo’s primary focus revolves around developing small devices that deliver significant efficiency in HVAC systems. This commitment to Comfort, Energy Efficiency, Safety, Installation, and Maintenance (CESIM) is evident in the company’s innovative products, contributing to the optimization of air climate control.

Central to Belimo’s product portfolio is incorporating IoT (Internet of Things) technology into its devices, facilitating heightened connectivity and intelligent solutions within the HVAC sector. This strategic integration is congruent with the company’s overarching objective of delivering efficient and state-of-the-art solutions. Among the array of offerings provided by Belimo are products catering to diverse applications such as room comfort, Fire & Smoke Protection, Air handling Unit, Gas Monitoring, Heating plant, Cooling plant, Cooling tower, and more. These products find application across various sectors globally, as previously indicated in the aforementioned section, attesting to Belimo’s extensive and widespread presence on a global scale.

The Unique Value Creation Model, defined by CESIM, underlines Belimo’s dedication to customer satisfaction and success. Solution Leadership emphasizes a focus on high-performance HVAC system devices and recognizes innovation as vital for long-term success. The company’s agility is evident in its quick adaptation to market trends and technological advancements.

Credibility Culture forms the cornerstone of Belimo’s ethos, built on trust and integrity. The company values individuality, treating each person with respect and fairness, and emphasizes taking ownership of actions.

During the presentation, a short clip showcased Belimo’s commitment to sustainability, featuring a solar-powered plane that circled the globe. This initiative aligns with the company’s broader dedication to environmental responsibility and innovation in energy-efficient solutions.

Furthermore, it was communicated that Belimo values stakeholder maximisation to ensure the success of all stakeholders involved such as employees, customers, partners and shareholders. By prioritising the needs and interests of all stakeholders, Belimo aims to create a sustainable and mutually beneficial ecosystem.

In addition to the presentation, an input session on enterprise culture allowed for an interactive workshop. Participants, including your university, collaborated on generating solutions for Identity and Access Management (IAM) challenges. This hands-on exercise underscored Belimo’s commitment to fostering collaboration, innovation, and a culture of responsibility and integrity among its employees.

According to Belimo, successful change in company culture is based on three fundamental principles. Firstly, it is important to build a culture consciously and purposefully to achieve success. The desired culture can be actively shaped and strengthened through a clear vision and targeted measures. Furthermore, it is important to emphasise that culture is always based on values. These values are the foundation on which the company culture is built and influence the way employees act, decide and interact. Finally, building a strong culture takes time and patience. Cultural change is a gradual process that takes time to develop and take root. Through continuous effort and long-term commitment, a sustainable and meaningful culture can be developed.

Belimo’s journey from a local Swiss company to a global HVAC leader not only provided valuable insights into the HVAC industry but also showcased the company’s dedication to collaboration, technological advancement, and a culture of responsibility and integrity. The engagement at your university exemplified Belimo’s commitment to knowledge sharing and collaborative problem- solving in the dynamic field of HVAC solutions.

Today, our delegation had the privilege of hosting Mr. Sundeep Gaba, who provided illuminating insights into his entrepreneurial venture, Alleshealth, while offering invaluable guidance on launching and conducting business within the Indian market. Possessing a distinguished academic background, Mr. Gaba holds a degree in Evidence-based Studies in Healthcare from the University of Oxford and boasts a comprehensive professional journey of 15 years within the healthcare sector across three continents. His steadfast dedication and resilience to the healthcare domain are evident, underscored by his experience of 13 years at Roche, during which he cultivated expertise through various global and regional leadership roles. Mr. Gaba described us Roche as an exemplary employer, further accentuating the depth of his industry commitment.

AllesHealth, a Basel-based startup, rose from the personal medical history within the familial lineage of its founder, Mr. Sundeep Gaba. His decision to establish this enterprise was foremost nourished by the disease endured by his late grandmother, his mother, and son. Currently, AllesHealth benefits from its expertise gained over four decades within the healthcare domain. Serving as a comprehensive familial health management platform, AllesHealth is dedicated to providing tailored solutions taking into account both male and female healthcare needs. Emphasizing a preventive approach, the platform capitalizes on authentic patient data while ensuring the confidentiality of sources and conducting comprehensive analyses including both clinical and non-clinical data analysis.

Product Market Fit: Mr. Gaba underscored the imperative of recognizing the differences obetween markets, emphasizing that “What works here, likely will not work in India!”, as he gives an example with differences in testing methodologies between Switzerland and India. In Switzerland, one should go to a testing laboratory in order to get its test done, while in India samples can be taken directly at home. He therefore emphasized the necessity for meticulous market research to ensure an alignment with local needs.

Legal Entities/Trademark/IP: Discussion on the critical significance of intellectual property (IP) protection was the 2nd topic, where Mr. Gaba advocated for prioritizing trademark registration resulting from its simplicity and affordability, while acknowledging the administrative complexities in establishing legal entities.

Business Model: Mr. Gaba stressed the importance for a nuanced understanding of suitable business models in the Indian market, suggesting potential for B2B growth, such as the Direct Selling Agent (DSA) model.

Payment Gateway: Addressing payment facilitation, Mr. Gaba recommended three principal platforms, namely Stripe, Razorpay, and CCAvenue, as options for streamlining financial transactions.

Hiring: Acknowledging hiring challenges as among the most difficult encountered in the Indian market penetration, Mr. Gaba emphasized the need for rigorous recruitment processes, as offers are multiple and excellent candidates get numerous offers every day. He highlighted cultural differences between Switzerland and India in job interviews, underscoring the common nature of salary discussions during job interviews in India.

Selection of Appropriate Business Partners: Mr. Gaba finally stressed the importance of the selection of business partners as he states: “One should put efforts in finding a culturally aware partner to get things through”.

Markus Flückiger ended the second day of the seminar with his presentation about the non-profit organisation, the dignity freedom network (DFN). The non-profit organizations mission is to give dignity and freedom to the poorest of India.

The DFN offers two shelters for women and girls which have been victims of domestic violence, sexual exploitation or who want to escape from ritual prostitution or have been forced into prostitution. Furthermore, they offer a school which is open to all people.

The dignity freedom network wants to improve the lives of dalit by focusing on four main aspects: healthcare, education, trafficking prevention and skills training.

– Healthcare

They offer healthcare services at their schools. And the women and girls in the two shelters also get the chance to receive medical treatments which they usually couldn’t afford as well as counseling.

– Education

Markus Flückiger mentioned the statement “If you want to educate the nation you need to educate the women”. The DFN offers schools which are open to people from all castes and offer education in English. Children of lower casts often don’t have access to English education and are educated in their native language instead. This however puts them at a disadvantage since higher education is only offered in English. The shelter also provides access to education.

-Trafficking prevention

In 2008 a survey on women’s issues named India the most dangerous country for women. At least 42% of women have experienced sexual abuse. Many dalit girls are dedicated to sex slavery at the age of 12. The DFN offers two shelters for women and girls which have been victims of domestic violence, sexual exploitation or who want to escape from ritual prostitution or have been forced into prostitution.

– Skills training

The shelters offer the opportunity to attend vocational courses in order for the women to further develop their skills. Women need the chance to learn different skills in order to live independently. They also learn about their rights and how to earn their own living which is the best form to prevent violence as well as sexual exploitation.