New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Swiss President Guy Parmelin three award-winning Indian cheeses during the Swiss leader’s first state visit to India, a gesture that placed India’s emerging dairy craft alongside a country long associated with cheese.&nbsp;Parmelin arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a three-day visit at the Indian PM’s invitation. It is his second trip to India this year; he attended the AI Impact Summit in the capital in February. The two leaders held bilateral talks and signed agreements covering transport technologies, mobility systems and infrastructure.&nbsp;&nbsp;The cheeses—Gulmarg, Konark and Yeoor—officials say show a glimpse of India’s growing cheese-making tradition. Gulmarg is a heart-shaped, French-style Brie made from pasteurised cow milk. It has a snowy-white rind and earthy, mushroom-like notes, and received a Super Gold award at the 2026 Mundial do Queijo do Brasil.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-remains-a-critical-economic-and-strategic-partner-for-india-jaishankar-1791218082943">‘US remains a critical economic and strategic partner for India’: Jaishankar</a>&nbsp;Konark follows the French Tomme style—a rustic, natural-rind cheese with a supple texture, savoury flavours and a lemony finish. It won gold at the 2023 World Cheese Awards in Norway and silver in Switzerland in 2025.&nbsp;Yeoor is an Alpine-style cheese inspired by Swiss Gruyère, matured for about eight to nine months. Its makers say the ageing produces nutty, sweet and herbaceous flavours. The rind is decorated with rose petals and fennel, and the cheese is described as suitable for fondue and grilling.&nbsp;Switzerland is home to more than 450 recognised cheese varieties. Presenting Indian interpretations of European styles, including one modelled on a Swiss classic, and another that has already been judged in Switzerland, was widely read as a deliberate piece of culinary diplomacy.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-ll-settle-score-with-everyone-involved-in-oct-7-attack-says-netanyahu-at-memorial-1791209583749">‘We’ll settle score with everyone involved in Oct. 7 attack,’ says Netanyahu at memorial</a>&nbsp;The Indian PM also gave the president a hand-carved wall panel in Himalayan walnut wood from Kashmir. The deep-relief carving depicts landscapes, flora, human figures, horses, carriages and village scenes, drawing on a craft tradition shaped by indigenous and Central Asian influences.&nbsp;The president’s wife, Caroline, received a handwoven Kutchi shawl presented in a Sadeli box from Surat. The shawl, from Kutch in Gujarat, is known for geometric motifs and supplementary-weft weaving; the box is assembled from precisely layered contrasting materials in traditional geometric patterns. India’s gift diplomacy often pairs regional crafts with food.

Presenting Indian interpretations of European styles, including one modelled on a Swiss classic, and another that has already been judged in Switzerland, was widely read as a deliberate piece of culinary diplomacy.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Swiss President Guy Parmelin three award-winning Indian cheeses during the Swiss leader’s first state visit to India, a gesture that placed India’s emerging dairy craft alongside a country long associated with cheese. Parmelin arrived in New Delhi on Monday for a three-day visit at the Indian PM’s invitation. It is his second trip to India this year; he attended the AI Impact Summit in the capital in February. The two leaders held bilateral talks and signed agreements covering transport technologies, mobility systems and infrastructure. The cheeses—Gulmarg, Konark and Yeoor—officials say show a glimpse of India’s growing cheese-making tradition. Gulmarg is a heart-shaped, French-style Brie made from pasteurised cow milk. It has a snowy-white rind and earthy, mushroom-like notes, and received a Super Gold award at the 2026 Mundial do Queijo do Brasil. Also Read: ‘US remains a critical economic and strategic partner for India’: Jaishankar Konark follows the French Tomme style—a rustic, natural-rind cheese with a supple texture, savoury flavours and a lemony finish. It won gold at the 2023 World Cheese Awards in Norway and silver in Switzerland in 2025. Yeoor is an Alpine-style cheese inspired by Swiss Gruyère, matured for about eight to nine months. Its makers say the ageing produces nutty, sweet and herbaceous flavours. The rind is decorated with rose petals and fennel, and the cheese is described as suitable for fondue and grilling. Switzerland is home to more than 450 recognised cheese varieties. Presenting Indian interpretations of European styles, including one modelled on a Swiss classic, and another that has already been judged in Switzerland, was widely read as a deliberate piece of culinary diplomacy. Also Read: ‘We’ll settle score with everyone involved in Oct. 7 attack,’ says Netanyahu at memorial The Indian PM also gave the president a hand-carved wall panel in Himalayan walnut wood from Kashmir. The deep-relief carving depicts landscapes, flora, human figures, horses, carriages and village scenes, drawing on a craft tradition shaped by indigenous and Central Asian influences. The president’s wife, Caroline, received a handwoven Kutchi shawl presented in a Sadeli box from Surat. The shawl, from Kutch in Gujarat, is known for geometric motifs and supplementary-weft weaving; the box is assembled from precisely layered contrasting materials in traditional geometric patterns. India’s gift diplomacy often pairs regional crafts with food.

Presenting Indian interpretations of European styles, including one modelled on a Swiss classic, and another that has already been judged in Switzerland, was widely read as a deliberate piece of culinary diplomacy.

PM Modi gifts Swiss president made-in-India cheese

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PM Modi gifts Swiss president made-in-India cheese