The grand opening of the new state-of-the-art offices took place on 26th May 2017 with the integration of the Swiss Business Hub and Switzerland Tourism. Consul General Martin Bienz welcomed Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud, Director, Directorate for Resources, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Andreas Baum, Ambassador of Switzerland to India, Mr. Daniel Küng, CEO of Switzerland Global Enterprise, Mr. Jodok Brunner, Federal Office of Construction and Logistics, the architects and colleagues from the official Swiss network in India. The official launch of the reinvented Consulate took place in the afternoon with a ribbon cutting ceremony in presence of all representatives.
The celebrations on the occasion of the inauguration of the remodeled and integrated Consulate General of Switzerland in Mumbai continued in the evening at the Trident Hotel with 250 guests from the diplomatic, business and culture communities in Mumbai. Many of them had visited the Consulate General at Nariman Point in the afternoon and taken guided tours through the new premises.
After completion of the remodeling, the Swiss Business Hub and Switzerland Tourism have come under the single roof of the Consulate General. Furthermore, due to the centralization of visa processing in New Delhi, the Consulate General in Mumbai was reorganized with the allocation of additional resources to culture and public diplomacy. A modern platform has thus been created to represent key Swiss interests in diplomacy, trade & investment, cultural exchange and promotion of tourism, along with the continuation of providing consular services to Swiss citizens.
The renovation of the offices began simultaneously under the mandate of the Federal Department of Buildings and Logistics. The reconstruction process lasted almost one year and was led by Swiss architects from MACH GmbH Zürich in cooperation with Indian partners. The new setup in the form of a village with wooden houses and meeting plazas fosters communication among the integrated entities. It is considered as a milestone for Switzerland’s presence in India’s largest city and financial capital.
