We had an amazing start into the preparatory seminar week 2021! We were happy to experience many highlights, such as meeting Ambassador M. Motha from the Embassy of India and listening to extremely experienced and talented speakers. We are happy to share insights of some speeches, provided by our delegates.

Prof. Dr. Ruedi Nützi, Director School of Business FHNW & Marc Blaser, CEO Blaser Swisslube AG- Opening Speeches

Prof. Dr. Ruedi Nützi, Director School of Business

Marc Blaser, CEO Blaser Swisslube AG

Prof. Dr. Ruedi Nützi, the Director of the School of Business, welcomed all delegates from the prestigious flagship projects: Insight China, Focus India, ConnectUS and ExploreASEAN to the Preparatory Seminar of the International Student Projects 2021. 20 years ago it all began with Insight China and in the following years the other projects were added. The goal is to learn about the economic and political landscape and give all delegates an insight to the cultural diversity of these countries as well as learn about doing business in the respective regions. It is also an effective opportunity for FHNW and the students to build international connections and profit from the knowledge sharing through constructive interaction with companies and other key stakeholders. Due to the current situation, the learning environment had to be changed and adapted to a virtual delivery.

Blaser Swisslube AG with its headquarter in Hasle-Rüegsau, is an internationally active Swiss company using cooling lubricant and lubrication solutions. The company was founded by Willy Blaser, the grandfather of Marc Blaser, in 1936. The firm started by selling shoe polish and cleaning products. Today, the family-owned company develops, produces and sells lubricants and cooling lubricants in the metalworking industry and commerce. The products are also used in the manufacturing of parts in the watchmaking industry and medical technology. In 2010 the third generation, Marc Blaser, took over the management of the company.

As one of the main sponsors of the FHNW International Students Projects, Marc Blaser, CEO of Blaser Swisslube, was impressed to see that the projects are continuing virtually despite the current situation. In his exciting delivery, Mr Blaser firstly outlined the challenge of international competition in today’s globalized world, then highlighted the importance of targeting the customers’ needs and demonstrated their benefits gained from using quality products.

Blaser Swisslube AG aims to address the needs by creating leverage, benefits and cost savings for the customers by using Swisslube’s quality products. They also strive to choose the right partners, differentiate themselves and be a reliable partner for their customers. We all continue to learn and improve to become competitive thanks to our education and also the International Students Projects.

Blaser Swisslube is all about the people and they make the difference: even if the employee should strive for individual success, they should be able to work in a team and have trust to others, which is a basis for long-term success. We live in a digital world, but even the smartest algorithms cannot replace one’s skills and knowledge as a human. Therefore “do what you love and love what you do!”.

– Written by Gizem Avci & Ngan Nguyen

Ambassador Monika Kapil Mohta 

As the first guest speaker for the Focus India project, we had the pleasure to welcome Ambassador, Ms. Monica Kapil Motha. Ms. Motha assumed charge as Ambassador of India to Switzerland on 5 August 2020. In her impressive and intriguing speech, we were able to learn a lot about India’s history and the economy.

The global Covid pandemic changed the world and with-it India. Like other countries, India had struggles with the pandemic in 2020, but has recently managed to reduce the number of daily new infections from nearly 100’000 (mid-September) to near 10’000 a day. Not only is India one of the first countries to achieve herd immunity, but it also has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world. India has also played a leading role in the production of vaccines against Covid. India is a vaccine powerhouse: it makes 60% of the world’s vaccines and is home to half a dozen major manufacturers. But India doesn’t only produce a large amount of the Covid vaccine for their residents, they also shared over 10’000 doses with other countries around them. Indians have the vision of “self-reliance”, but with this, they do not include only India but the whole world. For India, the pandemic was also an opportunity to show their resilience and innovation. They were able to push ahead with digitalization, improve the infrastructure in the country and increase manufacture by 15% compared to the previous year (2019).
In the last few years, India has undergone a major digital transformation. Today, India has a leading role in topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and real-time data. However, India’s digital transformation is not only making itself felt on the international market, but also in its own country. Today, almost everyone in India owns a smartphone and a digital ID. This made it possible to build up a good and efficient digital infrastructure, which also came into play in the fight against the pandemic and its economic consequences. The digital revolution has also led to India emerging as one of the leading start-up nations.

India is a very price-sensitive market, where often the lowest price prevails. However, this does not mean that the problems cannot be solved through quality and sustainability. India is making great strides towards achieving the SDG goals by 2030. So far, they are even ahead of their timetable.

India can also learn from Switzerland in certain areas. For example, from the universities of applied sciences that work very closely with business and optimally
prepare their students for their entry into professional life. After this impressive lecture by Ambassador Motha, we can say that India is a country that is quickly getting back on its feet and with its 1.3 billion inhabitants has an incredible economic potential. India has made great strides in the areas of sustainability and digitalization.

– Written by Yves Saladin & Blerta Buqa

Ambassador Monika Kapil Mohta

Philippe Reich, Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce – A winning partnership for Switzerland and India

Philippe Reich, Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce

The speaker, Philippe Reich, is Chairman, President and Member of the Executive Board of the Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce (SICC). SICC was founded in Switzerland in 1985 and is headquartered in Zurich. The establishment of SICC in India took place in 2008 and is present in four Indian cities. The SICC is a bi-national and non-profit association with 400 Swiss and Indian members, which strives for a healthy economic relationship between Switzerland and India. For this reason, in addition to the Swiss and Indian governments, the Embassy and Consulates are among the important partners that promote networking and relationships with potential private (large- and medium sized companies and start-ups) and public stakeholders. Because of its experience and expertise in bilateral relations, SICC is specifically invited by governments to comment on relationship issues and has a seat at the table of any government delegation coming from Switzerland or India and traveling to India or Switzerland.
The association organizes several interesting events in Switzerland as well as in India to educate about and address important cultural and economic subjects. One event that took place in 2020 was the “YPN Autumn Get-together” event. The aim of it was to facilitate and make it more attractive for young people to travel and work abroad through targeted networking with members and non-members, to meet SICC supporters as well as to make new acquaintances. As an example, an Indian student who completed an internship was invited to talk about his experiences in Switzerland. Other topics addressed during an event included promoting free trade and securing access to international markets for Swiss companies. Although trade policies in India are protectionist, India is Switzerland’s second largest trading partner in Asia after China, with exports worth around CHF 18`000 million in 2019. The Corona pandemic is an enormous challenge for India, as it has a strong impact on India’s foreign trade balance. The World Bank assumes a reduction of up to 12% of all exports in 2020/2021, while imports are expected to decrease by 20%. Therefore, ensuring a functioning economy in India is of great interest to the Indian government. Bringing in foreign direct investment as well as cooperation is currently very attractive for the country.
That is where SICC brings together key trading partners to facilitate and address this very important issue of a free trade agreement between Switzerland (and the EFTA group) and India and to find a common solution. Another campaign, which is discussed at the SICC, is «Atmanirbhar Bharat» or «Self-reliant India». With this campaign, the honorable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, calls for making India and its citizens independent and self-determined in all senses. India is seeking greater independence, especially from Chinese imports, and wants to be able to promote regional exports to offset corresponding trade deficits. For this reason, the Government of India has issued a 5-year USD 20 billion subsidy package to encourage foreign companies to relocate their production to India. SICC navigates members to the essence of Swiss-Indian business and provides a platform for the exchange of information, experience and technology among peers and the appropriate contacts to forge successful collaborations. Therefore, SICC is an important source of information for the Focus India 2021 Delegation.

– Written by Sanja Cvijetinovic & Mark Wittmer

Aradhna Seti, Namaste Switzerland – Introduction into India’s History and Culture

Aradhna Sethi grew up in India and came to Switzerland in 2001. As well as being a qualified journalist and the founder of Namaste Switzerland, Mrs. Sethi is also the author of the books “The Entrepreneur’s Wife – A Survival Guide” and “The Swan Fairy”. Focus India welcomed Aradhna Sethi to talk about Indian’s history and culture.
Over time, India had many different rulers, battles and treaties. From the Guptas to the Pallavs and finally the British, each dynasty has left its footprints in India. Some of which can still be seen today: like the Taj Mahal, the railway station in Bombay or the red fort.
Today, times are different, and most mindsets have changed a lot during the past decades. There is the urge to modernize but not through cultural adaption. But still lot of people are not well educated and narrow minded. So, according to Mrs. Sethi: “The social evils of today, were the necessities of yesterday”.

Gender discrimination and favoring the male child goes very far back but has a certain impact even today. More men meant more support in taking care of the families which in turn led to more food for the families. So, every family wished for a son. On the other hand, girls were seen as a liability because you had to protect them. They were kept home, did not get a proper education and had no financial skills. These procedures still have an effect today. The Sati System was a horrible way for women to protect themselves and held their honor when their husband died. They killed themselves brutally because it was dangerous for them to maintain a part of the society as single women. Another good example for the statement of Aradhana Sethi is the caste system. It is originally based on skill division, depending on the job you did, you were assigned to a caste. But after some time, people became judgmental and treated the different castes differently. People had to marry in the same caste. The following are the five castes:

  • Brahmins: priests, academic class
  • Kshatriyas: rulers, administrators, warriors
  • Vaishyas: artisans, tradesmen, farmers, merchants
  • Shudras: manual laborers
  • Dalits: street cleaners, menial tasks
Today, these social rules are far more loose and young people are also allowed to marry between castes. Indians are influenced by a mixture of the past history and the modern world. Different smells, many people in a small space and many loud unfamiliar noises – and all that at once – that is India! In comparison to Switzerland India is an assault to all our senses according to Aradhna Sethi. If you are travelling to India, you have to be prepared that it is the complete opposite of Switzerland. Aradhana Sethi advised all students to try all kinds of hot dishes if they ever have the chance to go to India. But only the hot freshly cooked dishes, never the cold ones. India is truly a live experience!

– Written by Julia Estermann, Florian Sennhauser & Vithursha Nallathamby

Aradhna Sethi, Namaste Switzerland