The third meeting of the India-European Union Trade and Technology Council in Brussels marked a significant advancement in cooperation across three major working groups.

These covered strategic technologies and digital connectivity, clean and green technologies, and trade, investment and resilient value chains. Both sides announced new initiatives in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, green technologies, start-ups and supply chain resilience.

The meeting was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada from India.

The European Union was represented by Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Maros Sefcovic, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, and Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation.

The TTC, established in April 2022 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has become a central platform to address challenges related to trade, trusted technology and security while strengthening bilateral cooperation.

EAM Jaishankar emphasised that the meeting reviewed ongoing cooperation in strategic technologies, digital connectivity, clean energy, trade, investments and resilient supply chains. He noted that trusted partnerships like India and the EU are vital in overcoming supply chain chokepoints, market access issues and technology gaps.

Under the first working group, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, high-performance computing, quantum technologies, digital governance and next-generation telecommunications.

They agreed to improve interoperability of digital trust services, including e-signatures, and explore cooperation on digital wallet interoperability, with a possible pilot linking the EU Digital Identity Wallet and India’s DigiLocker. A Joint Artificial Intelligence Roadmap is being considered, alongside sharing best practices on responsible AI adoption and governance approaches for emerging applications.

India and the EU also agreed to deepen cooperation in high-performance computing and quantum technologies, including joint research in natural hazards, climate change and bioinformatics. On semiconductors, both sides committed to building secure and trusted supply chains.

A joint India-EU roundtable will be held during Semicon India 2026, with collaboration in research, capacity building, advanced manufacturing and critical minerals supply chains. Cooperation between India Semiconductor Mission design facilities and EU pilot lines under the EU Chips Act will also be explored.

The second working group focused on clean and green technologies. India and the EU welcomed progress in research and innovation cooperation and announced plans to begin formal negotiations on India’s association with Horizon Europe, the EU’s EUR 93.5 billion research and innovation funding program.

This would allow Indian researchers and innovators to participate fully from 2027. Both sides agreed to establish the first India-EU Innovation Hub focused on electric vehicle charging technologies and testing, driven by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the Automotive Research Association of India. This hub will integrate research capabilities, testing infrastructure, standards expertise and start-up ecosystems.

Progress was also highlighted under a joint investment of EUR 60 million over four years to support collaborative research projects through Horizon Europe.

These projects include renewable hydrogen production from agricultural and industrial waste, marine pollution monitoring using AI-driven models and advanced biosensors, and recycling of electric vehicle batteries with a focus on critical raw material recovery. Cooperation will continue on hydrogen-related safety standards, hydrogen valleys, electric mobility and green technologies.

The third working group concentrated on strengthening economic cooperation, enhancing supply chain resilience and addressing vulnerabilities in key sectors. India and the EU agreed to build transparent, predictable, diversified and sustainable value chains in areas such as agri-food, active pharmaceutical ingredients and clean technologies.

Discussions also covered food security, pharmaceutical supply chain resilience, renewable energy technologies and reducing trade barriers. Both sides welcomed progress in addressing market access issues through the TTC framework and stressed the importance of outcomes in technical regulations, Quality Control Orders and relevant EU regulations.

India and the EU reaffirmed their commitment to the multilateral trading system and highlighted the need for reforms to address contemporary trade challenges. They agreed to explore a dedicated platform under the TTC for the Blue Valleys initiative, aimed at developing sector-specific industrial clusters involving regulators, industry, start-ups and other stakeholders.

A Deep-Tech Start-up Partnership will also be established, involving the European Innovation Council and Start-Up India, to support cross-border market access and commercialisation opportunities. The India-EU Business Forum will be held annually, with regular sector-specific industry interactions focusing on priority areas.

Both sides agreed that the next Ministerial Meeting of the Trade and Technology Council will take place in New Delhi in 2027.

The TTC will continue to support a more integrated, resilient and sustainable economic partnership between India and the European Union, building on the momentum of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, the Security and Defence partnership and the Mobility Framework.

ANI