This article is based on a study involving 45 senior Swiss and Indian executives and discusses the key market entry challenges for Swiss SMEs in India. Study respondents rate the market evaluation phase as most important for the overall market entry success. In this phase, marketing expertise is of great relevance for successfully preparing the market entry from the outset. It is argued that marketing professionals should play a strategic role in a company's market entry process by being actively involved in the market potential evaluation phase and by framing effective strategies to convince Indian customers that Swiss quality pays off in the long run.