Minister says India-EU strategic partnership offers significant opportunities
Minister of State for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh and a European Parliament Committee delegation held wide range discussions with focus on effective implementation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Delhi on 22 Sept, the Ministry of Science & Technology said in a release.
Deeper cooperation with the European Union in science, technology, research and, critical and emerging technologies were also discussed by the Minister and the delegation on Industry, Research & Energy (ITRE), led by Angelika Winzig and MEP Austria, Raffaele Stancanelli.
Dr Singh noted that the India-EU strategic partnership offers significant opportunities for closer collaboration in areas of mutual priority, with science and research forming an integral part of the partnership.
The European Parliament delegation comprised Member, ITRE; Angelika Winzig, MEP, Austria, Raffaele Stancanelli, MEP, and Full Member, ITRE; Mohammed Chahim, MEP, Netherlands, S&D Vice-President and Full Member, ITRE; Raúl de la Hoz Quintano, MEP, Spain and Full Member, ITRE; Nicolás González Casares, MEP, Spain and Full Member, ITRE; Morten Løkkegaard, MEP, Denmark and Full Member, ITRE; Jüri Ratas, MEP, Estonia and Full Member, ITRE; and Virginijus Sinkevičius, MEP, Lithuania and Full Member, ITRE.
Dr Jitendra Singh led the India side, comprising Dr. Rajiv Jaiswal, Department of Space; Dr. Nisha Mendiratta and Dr. Praveenkumar Somasundaram, Department of Science & Technology; Dr. Dhananjay Tiwary, Department of Biotechnology; Dr. Prabhasis Bandyopadhyay, CSIR; Dr. Anil Chauhan, Department of Atomic Energy; Dr. Ekta Kapoor, Department of Science & Technology; and Nidhi Choudhary, Ministry of External Affairs.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Angelika Winzig, MEP from Austria and Full Member of ITRE, thanked the Minister for the meeting and said that India is a key strategic partner for the European Union. She said the delegation’s visit was aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of India’s industrial and technology policies and identifying areas for closer cooperation. She referred to shared interests in strengthening industrial competitiveness, ensuring secure and resilient critical supply chains, and advancing the green and digital transitions, while welcoming continued dialogue between India and the European Parliament on these issues.
During the discussions, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the early and effective implementation of the India-EU FTA should remain a collective priority and expressed India’s expectation of continued support from the European Parliament for its early signing and ratification. He said the FTA would open new opportunities for businesses, consumers and skilled professionals and provide further momentum to the multifaceted India-EU strategic partnership.
On India’s research and innovation priorities, the Minister said research and innovation are central to the Government’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, with greater focus on high-impact research, translation of research into technologies and products, and increased industry participation. He referred to the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the EUR 10 billion Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) initiative, aimed at catalysing high-risk, high-impact research and nurturing deep-tech startups.
Dr Jitendra Singh invited greater India-EU cooperation in frontier and emerging areas including Artificial Intelligence, quantum technologies, advanced materials, biotechnology and semiconductors, besides high-performance computing and next-generation telecommunications, including 6G. He said quantum technologies offer significant scope for cooperation across research, applications, skills and development of the wider quantum ecosystem. In AI, India is particularly interested in applications in areas such as healthcare and science, while ensuring responsible and trustworthy adoption.
On semiconductors, the Minister said India’s growing semiconductor and electronics ecosystem and the EU’s efforts towards resilient and secure semiconductor supply chains provide scope for greater cooperation. He said synergies could be explored between India’s semiconductor initiatives and the EU Chips framework in areas including research, innovation, investment and ecosystem development.
The Minister also called for stronger collaboration on clean and green technologies, climate and environmental challenges, identifying these as important areas for research cooperation. Under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), substantial progress has been made on priority clean and green technology workstreams, including a EUR 60 million joint investment over four years to support collaborative research on waste-to-hydrogen, marine pollution and recycling of electric vehicle batteries.
The discussions also covered the proposed India-EU Innovation Hub on Electric Vehicle Charging Technologies and Testing, which is being developed as a platform bringing together research capacity, testing infrastructure, standards expertise and startup ecosystems from both sides. India and the EU are also sharing knowledge on Hydrogen Valleys and working towards cooperation on hydrogen-related safety standards. Dr. Jitendra Singh said the potential of cooperation in green hydrogen could also support greater trade and investment, including green hydrogen exports from India to the EU over the medium term.
On the Horizon Europe programme, Dr Jitendra Singh said India’s association would expand opportunities for Indian researchers to partner with European institutions in cutting-edge research areas of mutual priority. He said discussions on India’s association are progressing well, with substantial convergence, while some legal, financial and institutional issues remain under discussion. India remains committed to concluding the negotiations expeditiously and looks forward to an arrangement that is balanced, mutually beneficial and expands opportunities for researchers, institutions and industry.
Dr Jitendra Singh also invited the ITRE delegation to identify areas where Indian and European research and innovation priorities can converge, particularly where collaboration can lead to joint research, technology development and scale-up. He said India sees Europe as a significant research partner given its strong research institutions, advanced research infrastructure and innovation ecosystem.
The meeting covered India’s research priorities, critical and emerging technologies, implementation and follow-up of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council, and the state of play on India’s association with Horizon Europe, reinforcing the scope for further engagement across science, technology, innovation and clean technologies. fiinews.com
