Piyush Goyal Settles Swiss Company’s Land Dispute in Record 2.5 Hours

Piyush Goyal Resolves Swiss Firm’s Land Dispute in Record 2.5 Hours at Industry Meet

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal resolved a long-pending land allocation issue for Swiss precision engineering firm Endress Hauser Flowtec AG in just 2 hours and 34 minutes — and did it live during a business conference in Switzerland.

The swift action unfolded at the 18th SWISSMEM Industry Day, where Goyal was addressing over 1,000 Swiss business leaders and a 90-member Indian delegation to promote the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).

During morning discussions, Endress Hauser — operating in Maharashtra since 2003 — raised concerns over acquiring 10 acres of adjacent green zone land for expansion. Typically, the process takes months. Goyal acted immediately, texting Maharashtra’s Industry Secretary at 11:33 am with the company’s application and project details.

By 2:07 pm, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation had approved the allocation, agreeing to shift the green zone to another location. “India can, India will deliver,” Goyal told the applauding audience. The Minister used the incident to showcase India’s improved business facilitation, pitching Swiss investors on opportunities — even suggesting the creation of a dedicated “Swiss business enclave” in India.

Goyal’s visit to Switzerland (June 9–10) included talks with Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and State Secretary Helene Budliger Artieda on TEPA implementation. The agreement, taking effect October 1, promises $100 billion in EFTA investments over 15 years, potentially generating one million jobs.

“TEPA is officially the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement, but I call it the Trust and Efficiency Partnership Agreement,” Goyal said.