The European Union and India have agreed to deepen cooperation on technology, trade and supply chains, announcing a series of new initiatives aimed at strengthening their
strategic partnership.
At the third meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Brussels on Wednesday, ministers pledged to expand collaboration in areas ranging from artificial intelligence and semiconductors to electric vehicles and clean energy, while confirming plans to upgrade the council before the end of the year.
Among the key announcements was the decision to begin formal negotiations on India's association with the EU's Horizon Europe research programme, with both sides aiming to complete the process before the end of 2026.
The partners also agreed to establish the first EU-India Innovation Hub focused on electric vehicle charging technologies and testing, alongside a new Startup Partnership designed to support deep-tech companies developing clean technologies.
Officials said cooperation would be intensified in several strategic sectors, including semiconductors, high-performance computing, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and future 6G communications. Both sides also committed to strengthening supply chains for agri-food products, pharmaceutical ingredients and clean energy technologies.
The meeting reviewed progress across the TTC's three main areas of work: digital technologies, green technologies, and trade and investment.
On artificial intelligence, the EU and India agreed to work more closely on innovation, including potential applications in healthcare. They also plan to collaborate on high-performance computing projects supporting research into climate change, natural hazards and bioinformatics.
The two sides pledged to strengthen semiconductor cooperation by improving supply chain resilience, encouraging investment and expanding collaboration on advanced manufacturing.
They also agreed to continue work on making digital trust services more compatible, including digital wallets and electronic signatures, following an agreement signed earlier this year. Ministers said they would continue supporting the movement of skilled information technology professionals and increase cooperation on international technology standards, including those for 6G networks.
In research and innovation, the partners highlighted €60 million of joint funding committed over the past four years for projects including waste-to-hydrogen technology, marine pollution and electric vehicle battery recycling. Later this year, experts from both sides are expected to exchange knowledge on Hydrogen Valleys and hydrogen safety standards.
Trade ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening resilient supply chains while addressing market access barriers, including sanitary and phytosanitary regulations affecting agricultural trade. They also pledged continued support for reform of the World Trade Organisation and the wider multilateral trading system.
The three TTC working groups have now been tasked with implementing the new commitments and reporting regularly on progress ahead of the next ministerial meeting.
The EU-India Trade and Technology Council was established in 2022 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is India's first dedicated trade and technology partnership with any international partner and has become a central pillar of the wider EU-India strategic relationship, covering digital transformation, clean technologies, secure supply chains and rules-based trade. Photo by Pogaface, Wikimedia commons.