The European Union and India at a Trade and Technology Council meeting in Brussels reaffirmed their commitment to speedy ratification of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, targeting entry into force in 2027.
At their third meeting of the TTC, the parties reaffirmed the Council as a central platform for cooperation on trade, technology and security. Underlining the growing ambition of the EU-India strategic partnership, both sides agreed to focus on strengthening strategic value chains and deepening business engagement. The partners committed to finalising the upgrade of the TTC by the end of the year, as foreseen in the Joint EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda adopted at the 16th EU-India Summit in January this year.
Concretely, the EU and India agreed to:
- Start formal negotiations on India’s association to Horizon Europe, with the aim of concluding before end 2026;
- Establish the first EU-India Innovation Hub on electric vehicle charging technologies and testing;
- Launch an EU-India Startup Partnership focused on deep tech clean technologies;
- Step up cooperation on semiconductors, high-performance computing, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence and 6G;
- Strengthen work on resilient value chains in agri-food, active pharmaceutical ingredients and clean energy technologies.
The meeting reviewed progress under the TTC’s three work strands: digital connectivity and strategic technologies; clean and green technologies; and trade, investment and resilient value chains.
On digital and strategic technologies, the EU and India agreed to deepen cooperation on artificial intelligence, exploring best practices for AI innovation, such as in healthcare. The two sides will also reflect on further collaboration in high-performance computing, including through a coordinated project to support research on natural hazards, climate change and bioinformatics. The two partners agreed to strengthen collaboration on semiconductors, with a focus on resilient, secure and trusted semiconductor supply chains, as well as on enhancing cooperation on advanced manufacturing and on facilitating investments in semiconductor and electronics ecosystems.
The EU and India agreed to continue technical work on interoperability and mutual recognition of digital trust services, including digital wallets, building on the administrative agreement on advanced electronic signatures and seals signed in January 2026. The two partners committed to supporting the mobility of skilled ICT professionals, following the launch of the European Legal Gateway Office pilot in India in February 2026, as well as intensifying coordination on global standards, including on 6G.
The EU and India confirmed readiness to open formal negotiations on India’s association to Horizon Europe. On clean technologies, the parties also agreed to create a dedicated Innovation Hub on electric vehicle charging technologies and testing, and to launch a Deep-Tech Startup Partnership to support market access and commercialisation pathways for startups. The meeting took stock of joint research supported by € 60 million over four years, including projects on waste-to-hydrogen, marine pollution and electric vehicle battery recycling. In the second half of 2026, the EU and India will also exchange expertise on Hydrogen Valleys and hydrogen-related safety standards.
On trade, the EU and India confirmed their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation on resilient value chains in agri-food, active pharmaceutical ingredients and clean energy technologies. In addition, the meeting underlined market access issues, including sanitary and phytosanitary applications. Both parties reaffirmed the importance of achieving concrete outcomes for industry on respective technical regulations. They also reaffirmed their support for the multilateral trading system and World Trade Organisation (WTO) reform.
