Kulturfestivalen 2017

Indian comedian Papa CJ in front of the crowds (photo credit: Michelle Rickardsson)

I can think of few better ways of getting back into the work rhythm following Summer break than when it is interspersed with events being organized for and around the Stockholm Cultural Festival. The theme this year, as many of you may know by now, is India – and more specifically India’s 70 years of Independence. As member of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, Swecare had the privilege of attending the inauguration of this week’s festivities at Gustav Adolfs Torg on Tuesday. Not only was it wonderful to see thousands of people dancing to Bollywood tunes, these types of events also offer Swecare the opportunity to network, influence, and better understand the scope of collaborations possible within the healthcare industry. We are currently actively engaged in taking the Sweden-India partnerships from being pharma-focused to care-centric. While Sweden is still home to groundbreaking medical research in the pharmaceutical sector, we also have transformative solutions in MedTech, eHealth, healthcare services. Much of the talk at the India@100 Business Day event this Thursday centered around leveraging the scaling potential and talent pool in India with the depth of knowledge and expertise residing in Sweden. Nowhere is this more relevant than in the healthcare sector – where the challenges are literally a matter of life and death. It is such a privilege to be a driver in creating these partnerships and an honor to be representing such impressive companies and institutions.

Thank you and let’s get back to work.

Candid discussions on facilitating Swedish access to - and success in - the dynamic Indian market

Sometimes the best ideas emerge from meetings without agendas, and the most exciting initiatives while you are trying to get from one place to the next. Inspiring colleagues and partners do not hurt either.

The Indo Swedish Joint Working Group on Health meeting, which was supposed to take place yesterday, was cancelled due to reasons beyond the control of its participants. Our partner, colleague, and friend from Delhi, who has been at the Swedish Embassy there for almost 22 years, came regardless and tried to maintain a part of the program drawn up for the JWG delegation.

Yasmin Roy-Zaveri's week started at a roundtable organised by the Sweden India Business Council and hosted by Swecare, during which pharma and medtech companies came face to face with a high-level delegation from the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, led by Additional Joint Secretary Atul Chaturvedi - accompanied by the Indian Embassy in Stockholm, Invest India, and the Confederation of Indian Industry. During this open and frank discussion, the key question was asked as to how can India make things easier for Swedish companies to enter the market. Clearly the country is eager to make the necessary changes and indeed has already taken many steps in this direction, including the recent change in policy as regards to medical devices.

This roundtable, which was followed by a delicious dinner at India House, was a precursor to the 'Make in India' event planned in Stockholm October 12-13. The first of its kind, this two day exhibit will showcase the success and potential of the Indian market.

Tuesday morning was much more low-key, and quite fruitful, as the day began with the H2 Health Hub breakfast. Yasmin, Johan from the Swedish Ministry of Health, and Swecare sat with the founders of H2 and some of its members to brainstorm  on ideas through which we could complement each other's work and make our contributions more meaningful. Some extremely exciting project concepts came out of the three hours spent there (no one wanted to leave) - so do watch this space for updates!

The day ended with a meeting at Karolinska Institute's International Relations Unit where we discussed the progress, challenges, and potential for partnerships with India. Yasmin's trip was rounded off with meetings at the Ministry of Health and with some of the agencies who have been collaborating under the Indo-Swedish MoU on Health.

It was generally agreed that the time to act in India was now. The government, with its new Health Policy, has increased its contribution to the Health System. And while the going may be slow at times, the effort is worth it. Also, you are not alone. Swecare and Yasmin at the Embassy of Sweden in Delhi is always here to help.


With that, we at Swecare wish you a wonderful Midsummer!