This interactive paper addresses a largely neglected, but crucial aspect of SMEs’ internationalization, i.e. interactions between foreign SMEs and public administrations of the host market. Indeed, the manner in which such interactions happen has a crucial impact on SMEs internationalization decisions. Buying or constructing a new building, paying taxes, obtaining various authorizations, etc. may constitute more or less easy, costly, efficient, and accessible processes for foreign SMEs and represent important obstacles for them, especially because of their limited resources and liability of foreignness. This work-in-progress paper provides the framework in terms of literature review, business-government relations theory, and qualitative methodology for the ongoing research project. The latter examines to what extent the degree and the quality of Indian public administration’s digital transformation influences the relationship between Swiss SMEs and the host country administrative state, i.e. the one of India, and impacts the internationalization experience of the SMEs.
