Embassy Reception 14.11.2026 - Swiss Wine India

Changelog

Date / Version	Changes	Owner
31.07.2026 / v0.89	Feedback from Juan Pedro & Paras Gupta - Indoor / Outdoor, size - Governance	Janhvi Dhavan
31.07.2026 / v0.9	Review and approved for sharing with Swiss Embassy	Vikram Bhatnagar
	Next Meeting Tuesday 04.08.2026 Juan-Pedro, Paras, Vikram, Janhvi
06.08.2026 / v1.0	Embassy working meeting update: Scenario B approved as working route; 56 bottles accepted subject to proper prior approval and process; 18:00-22:30 timing accepted; official welcome reduced to 5 minutes; culinary direction changed from buffet to apero riche / canapes / grazing tables plus raclette; Embassy to send invitation timeline; TEPA/Swintra to provide artist, production, lighting, guest-list and logistics details	Embassy / TEPA.swiss / Swintra

Stakeholders

Name	Organisation, Role & Function	Contact	Description
Vikram Bhatnagar	TEPA.swiss, Director,	+91 99200 98180 / WhatsApp vikram.bhatnagar@ops.tepa.swiss ThreemaID: JSHYUJ7R	Responsible for event; lead organiser
Imroze Zend	TEPA.swiss / Operations	imroze.zend@tepa.swiss	Operations Support
Maya Tissafi	Ambassador of Switzerland to India and Bhutan	maya.tissafi@eda.admin.ch	Final Embassy host approval
Sonja Isella	Dept. Ambassador of Switzerland to India and Bhutan	sonja.isella@eda.admin.ch	Embassy leadership / protocol context
Matthias Kögl	Dept. CG Swiss Consulate Mumbai	matthias.koegl@eda.admin.ch	(I) Informed
Juan-Pedro Schmid	Swiss Embassy Counsellor Head of Economic, Trade & Commercial Section	‪+91 92207 46633‬ / WhatsApp juanpedro.schmid@eda.admin.ch	Main Embassy coordination lead
Paras Gupta	Swiss Embassy Dept. Counsellor Head of Economic, Trade & Commercial Section	paras.guptah@eda.admin.ch	(I) Informed
Nadir Tanushree	Head of Events	+91 85276 80976 / WhatsApp tanushree.nadir@eda.admin.ch	Embassy events lead; venue, flow, timing, music/production coordination with Swintra and culinary
Laxmi Sirisha Kanagala		laxmi-sirisha.kanagala@eda.admin.ch	+41 58 480 08 92 Prior approval / exemption certificate process for wine import
Christian Schoch	Director Switzerland Tourism - India	+91 75068 41805 / WhatsApp christian.schoch@switzerland.com	Switzerland Tourism partner contribution / coordination
Ameya Kamath	Switzerland Tourism, Travel Trade Manager - INDIA	+91 22 6128 2503 ameya.kamath@switzerland.com
~~Florin Müller~~	~~Swiss Indian Business Hub~~	~~+91 86578 83457~~ ~~florin.mueller@eda.admin.ch~~	Renz=Juan-Pedro?

Eliane Amherd	Music Artist	+1 (917) 669-1260 / WhatsApp Reference Links https://elianeperforms.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBvbIWQJn_JaUvtsJ2oFd2A	Swiss artist; to be paired with Indian musicians for Swiss-Indian live music
Indian musician(s)			Percussion / tabla / sitar or other Indian instrumental pairing with Eliane Amherd
Yannic Reber	TEPA.swiss Photography / video	Threema: 3H6Y26H3 https://www.linkedin.com/in/yannicreber/	TEPA.swiss mission photographer; event photo/video provider; Embassy social-media delivery required
Cheyenne Haas	TEPA.swiss Photography / video	+41 79 241 70 56 / WhatsApp https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheyenne-haas/	TEPA.swiss mission photographer; event photo/video provider; Embassy social-media delivery required
Production vendor / Embassy vendor			Sound, lighting, stage/performance area, indoor/outdoor flow, event material setup

1. Purpose

This page defines the current agreed planning position for the Swiss Wine India Mission 2026 Embassy Reception in New Delhi: the diplomatic and cultural opening of the Mission ahead of the commercial programme (Swiss Wine Week 13.11.-29.11.2026) and ProWine Mumbai on 18-19 November 2026.

It is the single working reference for the Embassy and TEPA.swiss/Swintra going forward. The page is updated after each working meeting and should be treated as the operational source of truth until replaced by a signed Embassy agreement, Code of Conduct or formal event plan.

2. Scope

This page applies to planning, coordination and execution of the Embassy Reception across:

Swiss Embassy, New Delhi
TEPA.swiss
Swintra Ventures Pvt. Ltd. / Swiss Wine India
Swiss producers (wine contribution)
Swiss Wine Promotion / Swiss Wine India
Switzerland Tourism
Swiss Business Hub India

3. Core Event Parameters

Typ	Description
Event date:	Saturday, 14 November 2026
Event type:	Swiss wine and culinary reception; business / diplomatic and cultural opening of Swiss Wine India Mission 2026
Venue / capacity mode:	APPROVED WORKING ROUTE: Scenario B, hybrid indoor/outdoor, up to 150 total on site. Fully indoor 150 is not assumed. Scenario A, fully indoor around 100 total, remains the fallback if AQI or site constraints require it.
Guest scenario:	Target: 100-150 total on site. Working expectation: up to 150 total if hybrid flow is operationally validated. Mission-side delegation expected at approx. 25-30 people including producers, core team, partners, artists and media. External invitee count to be calibrated accordingly. Deadline for Guest invitation Outreach? (Embassy)
	GUEST INVITATION LIST - List A \| View Guestlist Screened by TEPA.swiss \| OSINT on 27.09.2026
Format:	Reception-led standing format / apero riche: wine stations, raclette, canapes, grazing tables, selected Swiss Table elements and continuous music. No seated dinner and no full dinner buffet as the primary format. MUSICIAN PLANNING: https://www.tepa.swiss/knowledge/article/977
Timing:	18:30 guest arrival - 22:30 operational close
Lead organiser: India execution arm:	TEPA.swiss Swintra Ventures Pvt. Ltd. / Swiss Wine India
Cash budget ceiling:	CHF 15,000
Wine contribution:	Delivered to Swiss Embassy: 144 bottles / 24 cases Transferred from Embassy to Taj VIP tasting: 54 bottles / 9 cases Remaining for Embassy reception: 90 bottles / 15 cases
	WINE LIST - in Progress View Consignments & Status Pending: Price List & Order Form Additional Order Confirmation from Ambassador Additional ORder Confirmation from Switzerland Tourism Possibly Diplomatic & Embassy Empoyees

4. Rationale for Saturday, 14 November 2026

The Swiss winemakers are expected to arrive in Delhi on Friday evening, 13 November 2026.
A Saturday evening reception provides a stronger official opening moment than a Sunday event and may reduce operational concerns associated with Sunday staffing and residence operations.
The timing preserves the logic of a diplomatic and cultural precursor before the ProWine Mumbai programme on 18–19 November 2026.
The TAJ VIP event on 15 November is separate and industry-focused, planned as a small private F&B tasting rather than a diplomatic reception. (Swiss Wine in Partnership with Swiss Embassy)

5. Venue & Capacity Decision

The original concept assumed a straightforward outdoor lawn reception for 150 guests. Two factors changed the planning logic:

Mid-November Delhi air quality, one week after Diwali, makes an outdoor-only plan risky.
Fully indoor 150 is operationally tight once wine stations, raclette, food, music, lighting and circulation are accounted for.

Scenario	Mode	Working capacity	Strengths	Constraints / risks	Decision use
A	Fully indoor	100 total (incl. producers & core delegation)	Best AQI control; simpler protocol; lower weather risk	Reduces reach; tight once 25–30 delegation/media/artists included	Fallback / controlled option
B	Hybrid indoor/outdoor	Up to 150 total	Realistic flow at 150; indoor areas cover VIPs, selected food, AQI fallback and parts of programme; outdoor areas can hold raclette/smellgenerating elements and circulation	Needs site-specific flow, security, power and AQI contingency plan	Approved
C	~~Outdoor~~ ~~lawn only~~	~~Up to 150 total~~	~~Original concept; strongest flow for stations & music~~	~~High AQI risk post-Diwali / winter inversion; should not be the only plan~~
D	~~Fully~~ ~~indoor~~ ~~at 150~~	~~150 total~~	~~Matches original assumption~~	~~Likely impractical unless exact site capacity is proven~~	~~site capacity needs to be proven~~

6. Event Concept & Running Order

Format: no seated dinner. Guests circulate between wine stations, raclette station(s), canapes / grazing tables, Swiss Table elements and networking areas. Music runs continuously as atmosphere, with one curated highlight in between. The programme should remain reception-led, not concert-led.

Time	Activity	Description
18:00	Guest arrival	Welcome, check-in, first wine service, soft opening
18:30	Official welcome	Opening remarks by the Swiss Ambassador / Embassy representative
18:35	Mission opening	Short framing by TEPA.swiss / Swiss Wine Promotion Speaker: Vikram Bhatnagar or Nik Gugger
18:40	Wine & Swiss Table open	Producer stations, raclette, canapes, grazing tables and Swiss culinary elements open [Menu detail to be refined] / WIP / Oct 15th Embassy cost contribution for F&B Layout discussion Sept 28th w/ 2 wine bars
19:00–21:30	Continuous live music	Swiss-Indian live music as atmospheric accompaniment [Swintra to submit artist list, instruments, samples and technical requirements] Deadline Oct 15h MUSICIAN PLANNING: https://www.tepa.swiss/knowledge/article/977
19:45	Curated music highlight	12-15 minute stronger cultural moment drawing attention to the Swiss-Indian music story, then returning to networking flow
20:15	Selected wine moments	3-4 short curated wine / regional introductions; no long producer speeches [detailed selection logic and presenter(s)] this needs update
22:00	Soft closing	Final networking, last conversations, closing signal
22:30	Event concludes	Guest departure, operational close

7. Culinary & Beverage Model

Component	Current plan	Decision / control point	Responsible
Swiss wine	~14 producers; 1 wine per producer; 4 bottles per wine; ~56 bottles total	Approved in principle for Embassy-hosted event consumption only. Start paperwork early. No sale, no bottle purchase, no commercial distribution from Embassy stock.	Swintra prepare supplier and wine documents; Lakshmi checks prior approval / EC process through Embassy / MEA point of contact; Juan-Pedro distributes internally
Raclette PAPER WORK -> VIK	Käserei Seiler, Giswil; FSSAI-compliant, no animal rennet. Pilot production in progress. Raclette should remain a key Swiss element.	Confirm number of stations, station type, service staff, power, ventilation and location. Whole-loaf raclette stations for speed and theatre.	Swintra to propose; Embassy events team to validate site and service flow
Food model	Shift from dinner buffet to apero riche: canapes, grazing tables, small Swiss/ vegetarian elements and raclette plates	Do not rely on raclette as sole food offer, especially for Indian guests and protocol diversity. Avoid full dinner buffet unless Embassy decides otherwise.	Embassy events team to propose caterer/menu direction and cost scope; Friday 15.10.2026 Swintra to align Swiss elements
Swiss Table additions	Possible: mini roesti bites, vegetarian tartlets, Swiss pickles, chocolate petit fours, cheese board	Final menu to align with Embassy caterer and service flow and available space	Joint
Water / soft drinks / Coffee / Tea	To be included in catering/ service plan	Required for responsible wine reception	Embassy caterer / service plan

8. Cultural Programme - Music

Eliane Amherd and accompanying musicians will provide continuous live Swiss-Indian music throughout the reception, supporting the flow of tasting, networking and dining. The programme will include one curated 12-15 minute highlight segment as the stronger cultural moment. It is deliberately not a concert format; this is both a programming choice and a governance / perception safeguard.

Working direction:

Eliane Amherd as Swiss lead artist.
Indian musician pairing under evaluation, potentially percussion / tabla / sitar or related Indian classical instrumentation.
Music direction: Swiss wine-themed songs and Swiss / English / French elements combined with Indian instruments.
Swintra to provide artist names, placeholder roles where names are not final, instruments, sample recordings,
stage/light/sound requirements and production assumptions.
Embassy to review programme suitability, technical feasibility and production/vendor requirements.

9. Governance, Roles & Communication

Area	Embassy role	TEPA / Swintra role	Status
Hosting & protocol	Host; venue/residence framework; protocol & security requirements; final format approval	Lead organiser and concept owner; adapt production to Embassy conditions	Scenario B approved as working route; formal written confirmation / final site plan still needed
Guest list	Owns invitation management, vetting and final approval	Submit proposed A/B/C lists; flag mission-side, VIP, government, media, partner and producer attendees	OPEN — Embassy to nominate one operating owner GUEST INVITATION LIST - List A \| https://www.tepa.swiss/odoo/documents/ei4vnchuTZ2j9H7KPD5VGQo43b [Excel]
Guest-list data fields	Define required data and format for Embassy invitation process	Capture: first name, last name, email, mobile, company, designation, category/tag, VIP flag and any Embassy-required fields	Initial fields accepted; final Excel/export format to be confirmed
Operational communication	One Embassy operating channel / point of coordination; internal Embassy coordination to remain with Embassy	One TEPA/Swintra operating channel; task tracking via TEPA.swiss platform; avoid uncontrolled parallel threads	Principle agreed; exact operating owner(s) to be confirmed
Legal / conduct documents	Provide Code of Conduct / cooperation forms closer to date	Review, sign and comply	Embassy indicated closer to date, likely around one month before, because documents depend on guest number
Photography / media	Confirm usable indoor/ outdoor zones, power, lighting, placement restrictions and security flow	Submit material list, placement concept, equipment ownership, transport route and production vendor assumptions	OPEN - TEPA.swiss/Swintra to prepare material Excel and placement concept Document Right of Media / Pictures Vik
Standee Print

Full responsibility matrix:

Party	Proposed responsibility / contribution
Swiss Embassy, New Delhi	Venue/residence as in-kind contribution; final approval ofhosting format; guest-list governance; security/protocol; confirmation of consumption framework; invitation sending and RSVP governance glassware or glassware coordination;
TEPA.swiss	Lead organiser; concept ownership; partner coordination; cost management; Embassy coordination; post-event follow-up and lead capture via Cluster F&B
Swintra Ventures / Swiss Wine India	India execution arm; production coordination; local handling; artist accommodation; local operational support; material list and transport coordination
Swiss producers	Wine contribution, approx. 56 bottles in-kind; participation in mission-side delegation
Swiss Wine Promotion / Swiss Wine India	CHF 10,000 confirmed contribution
Switzerland Tourism	CHF 2,500 potential contribution — to be confirmed by Christian Schoch
Swiss Business Hub India	CHF 2,500 — confirmed
Embassy caterer / vendor	Canapes, grazing tables, apero riche, service staff, non-wine drinks; exact cost and scope to be clarified
Production vendor	Stage/performance area, sound, lighting, tasting counters, residence lighting support and event setup; exact owner to be confirmed / after 28.09.

10. Budget & Contribution Framework

10.1 Planning assumptions

Planning item	Assumption
Guest count	Up to 150 total in approved hybrid working route; fully indoor fallback around 100 total
Cash budget ceiling	CHF 20,000
Wine	Approx. 56 bottles; producer contribution; no cash cost in event budget; Embassy-hosted consumption only
Glassware	Embassy - confirmation required / Additional Glassware, for Non Alc, Coffee / Tea cups from Embassy
Photography / video	Provided by TEPA.swiss through Yannic Reber and Cheyenne Hess; no additional cash cost; Embassy to receive rapid photo selection for social media
Artist accommodation	Covered by TEPA.swiss (possible Pro Helvetia, Delhi, Can Embassy Suport with contact)
Tasting counters	Included in event production package, or Embassy/ production vendor to confirm existing usable equipment
Wine Spittoons	Not planned for the Embassy reception format unless Embassy requests otherwise
Power	Required at raclette stations; technical requirements to be submitted to Embassy
Residence lighting	Additional lighting likely needed inside residence for quality photography and event atmosphere

10.2 Cash cost framework

Cost block	CHF	Status / notes
Event production, stage, setup, tasting counters, décor	10,000–12,000	Estimate by production team; detailed scope to be confirmed after site/flow plan
Transport / handling, Zurich–Delhi–Embassy	3,500	Planning assumption; route via TEPA.swiss free trade zone hub in Mumbai; Embassy letters required for movement to Delhi - to Taj
Artist and band fee	2,000	Eliane Amherd and accompanying musicians; Indian musician(s) to be confirmed
Additional catering / food / beverages / service	Embassy?	To be refined; should reflect apero riche, canapes, grazing tables, non-wine drinks and service staffing
Raclette cheese / Swiss Table elements	500–800	TEPA.swiss/Swintra planning estimate; final allocation depends on guest count
Local bread, potatoes, accompaniments	500–800	Local procurement by Swintra; Swiss pickles or selected items may come from Switzerland
Personnel, cleaning, operational support	1,000–1,500	Subject to Embassy and production requirements
Power / electrical checks, raclette stations	TBD	Expected to use Embassy power,subject to technical check
Lighting / photography support	TBD	Residence lighting may require additional setup; Yannic, Cheyenne / production team to specify
Contingency / reserve	~2,000	10% planning reserve

Target cash budget ceiling	25,000	Budget Cap for Planning and partner coordination

10.3 Contribution model

Contributor	Contribution	Status
Swiss Wine Promotion / Swiss Wine India	CHF 10,000	Confirmed
Switzerland Tourism	CHF 2,500	To be confirmed by Christian Schoch
Swiss Business Hub India	CHF 2,500	To be confirmed (Florin Mueller)
HDFC Bank	~CHF 5,000 / INR 6 lakh	Swiss Wine India 2026 - Sponsor
TEPA.swiss / Swintra Ventures	Remaining balance	Deficit coverage / execution risk
Swiss producers	Wine contribution	In-kind
Embassy	Venue/residence hosting; possible catering / apero riche / buffet support	In-kind / scope OPEN: Embassy to clarify venue only vs venue plus catering/ service support

11. Logistics & Technical Requirements

11.1 Wine, cheese and event material logistics

A smaller, separate quantity of wine, cheese and event material is required for the Delhi Embassy reception, distinct from the main commercial ProWine Mumbai shipment.

Logistics option	Description	Status
Embassy / diplomatic logistics	Route for wine bottles and cheese intended only for Embassy-hosted consumption + Taj VIP Event on Sunday	Purchase Order to Wine Producer CDEC and FSSAI Letter MCA Submission Vik to provide a final dossier. Wating for Ambassador, SIBH, ST and possibly other orders to consolidate
Swintra-managed commercial / regulated route	Fallback option if Embassy logistics are not feasible or not preferred	To be costed and verified
Mumbai FTZ to Delhi Embassy movement	Likely movement from TEPA.swiss/Swintra free trade zone hub in Mumbai to Embassy in Delhi	TEPA.swiss/Swintra to define route; Embassy letters for movement
Local production transport	Transport of production equipment, tasting counters, glassware and service material within Delhi	To be coordinated by Swintra / Production Team
Event material transport	Wine, cheese, roll-ups/standees, tasting counters, glassware, service material and other event items	TEPA.swiss/Swintra to prepare material Excel: item, description, ownership, quantity, origin, transport route, Embassy requirement
Palletisation	Wine likely separate pallet; cheese separate pallet; non-alcohol event material separate pallet unless logistics provider confirms otherwise	To be verified