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NEW DELHI, Feb. 7

THE Swiss-based pharma companies would not look at major investments in India, unless the latter puts in place laws to protect the companies' intellectual property, the Swiss Ambassador to India, Dr Walter B. Gyger, said here on Thursday.

Speaking to newspersons, he said that while India offered immense potential in terms of research and development, the Swiss pharma companies would not be too eager to invest, unless their IPR was protected. For Indian companies looking beyond the shores, he said Switzerland offered an opportunity for IT professionals and companies.Chemicals and pharmaceuticals at 22.6 per cent, is second only to machinery at 48.6 per cent, in terms of the investments made by Swiss companies in India. Switzerland's total investments into India stands at Rs 41.3 crore, or 0.21 per cent of the total foreign direct investment flow into the country. The cumulative investment in the 10-year period between 1991-2000, is Rs 836.4 crore.

Other sectors that offer good investment opportunities for Swiss companies in the country include pharmaceutical/ healthcare, information technology, bio-technology, services, food processing, tourism, infrastructure and consumer goods.

He said last year, bilateral trade recorded a 27.5 per cent growth, with an increase of Swiss exports by 28 per cent and imports by 27 per cent.

The Nestle Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Mr Carlo Donati, said companies doing business in India would expect the forthcoming budget to rationalise taxes and simplify the import duty so that products would be more affordable to consumers in the country.

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