India

Policy background

Cooperation on research and innovation is a cross-cutting and integral part of the EU-India Strategic Partnership as reflected in the Roadmap 2025, which includes some 20 actions on research and innovation.

Europe’s Global Approach to research and innovation foresees stepping up cooperation with India to address together global challenges and support India’s sustainable modernisation process.

The relaunch of the free trade negotiations (FTA), the Investment Protection Agreement (IPA), the Agreement on Geographic Indications (GIA) and the implementation of the connectivity partnership, all show strong momentum in the EU-India Strategic Partnership and mirror India’s economic achievements and ambitions.

The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) with India launched in 2023 is the latest and strongest demonstration of our political will to step up our engagement with India. The TTC consists of three Working Groups. Working Group 2 relating to Green and Clean Energy Technologies with a focus on research and innovation cooperation, standards and investments, aims at facilitating trade in these technologies. DG Research and Innovation co-chairs Working Group 2 together with the Principal Scientific Advisor Office of India.

Science and Technology Agreements and Arrangements

The EU-India cooperation on research and innovation is governed by the Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation signed in 2001, renewed for a further 5 years on 17 May 2020. Oversight is managed by a Joint Steering Committee co-chaired by the Director General of DG Research and Innovation, European Commission, and the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

In September 2024, at the 14th India-EU Joint Steering Committee, both parties took note of their intention to renew the Agreement for another five-year period. This decision was based on a shared positive assessment and followed an evaluation of the Agreement, conducted in line with Article 11 of the Agreement and published on 25 February. The finding and results of the Evaluation clearly demonstrated that the Agreement is useful and necessary as it fosters collaboration in key research and innovation areas, also providing a legal and political framework for advancing joint research in areas such as energy, health, water, ICT, or innovation.

The EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025 adopted at the EU-India Summit on 15 July 2020 identified actions on research and innovation to facilitate the implementation of ongoing sectoral dialogues and strengthen research and innovation cooperation notably on health research, digital technologies, green technologies, polar sciences, as well as on mobility of scientists and strengthening the innovation dimension of the partnership through connecting startups.

The EU-India Connectivity Partnership adopted on 8 May 2021, encourages both India and the EU to increase the two-way mobility of students and researchers under the People-to-People building block of the Connectivity Strategy with India.

The Commission has concluded Implementing Arrangements with the Indian Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and with the Indian Council on Social Sciences Research (ICSSR) facilitating short term mobility to be hosted by European Research Council grantees.

• Implementing Arrangement between the European Commission and the Indian Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and
• Implementing Arrangement between the European Commission and the Indian Council on Social Sciences Research (ICSSR)

On Euratom, 2 agreements have been concluded:

• European Atomic Energy Community and the Government of India in the field of fusion energy research signed in 2010
• European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the Government of India Agreement for research and development cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy - signed in July 2020

India is a member of the ITER project

Areas of cooperation

In line with the Global Approach, cooperation on healthcare, including resilience to health crises, just greening of the economy and striving for a human-centric digitalisation will be considered as priority areas for research and innovation cooperation.  Cooperation to underpin the EU-India Connectivity Partnership, with a focus on mobility of researchers and innovators, and the Indo-Pacific strategy, by actions on the blue economy such as marine litter, will also be considered.

During the EU-India Leaders’ Meeting on 8 May 2021, both sides committed to step-up cooperation in research and innovation on the green transition, digital agenda and global health challenges

At the first TTC Ministerial meeting in Brussels on 16 May 2023, it was agreed to start the work on the following actions:

1. waste water management, including plastic litter and waste to hydrogen
2. recycling of batteries for e-vehicles
3. interoperability of charging infrastructure for e-vehicle; and
4. standards (both cross-cutting and thematic)

Substantive exchanges between experts in the identified areas of cooperation have already taken place as the basis for future action. Indian experts  participated in a training and mutual learning exercise on EV interoperability and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) E-Mobility Lab in Ispra, Italy in January 2024. Furthermore, a joint hybrid workshop on EV Charging Technologies (Standardisation and Testing) was organised at the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune, India and online, to deepen the EU-Indian dialogue and the industry’s engagement in charging infrastructure standardisation processes with India. The two sides also concluded a Matchmaking Event to identify, support and facilitate exchanges between Indian and EU startups in technology for recycling of batteries for EVs. Additionally, experts also jointly discussed assessment and monitoring tools for marine plastic litter.

In the Joint statement on the second meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council held in New Delhi on 28 February the two sides recalled the importance of the priority workstreams identified under Working Group 2 on Clean and Green Technologies for achieving net zero emissions by 2070 and 2050 for the European Union and India, respectively. Achieving these targets will require significant investment in new clean technologies and standards. An emphasis on research and innovation (R&I) will foster technological collaboration and exchange of best practices between the EU and India. In parallel, supporting technological innovations for market uptake will enhance access to the respective markets, allowing EU and Indian enterprises to adopt innovative technologies. This creates opportunities for cooperation between EU and Indian incubators, SMEs and start-ups, while also strengthening human resource capability and capacity in such technologies.

The European Union and India also agreed to advance on the following actions:

1. Joint research cooperation on marine plastic litter and waste-to-hydrogen and recycling of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) will be supported with an estimated total joint budget of approximately €60 million, funded by the Horizon Europe programme alongside matching contributions from India.  In marine plastic litter, the focus will be on developing technologies for detection, measurement and analysis of aquatic litter and for mitigation of the cumulative impact of pollution on the marine environment. In waste-to-hydrogen, the focus will be on developing technologies with greater efficiency to produce hydrogen from biogenic wastes. In recycling of batteries for EVs, the focus will be on battery circularity through different kinds of flexible/low cost/easy to recycle batteries.
2. An “Ideathon” fostering EU-India collaboration to co-create practical solutions involving all stakeholders for addressing marine plastic pollution effectively.
3. Cooperation on harmonising standards for EVs charging infrastructure, including cooperative, pre-normative research for harmonised testing solutions and knowledge exchange in the domain of e-mobility.
4. Explore how to enhance collaboration in other areas such as hydrogen-related safety standards, the science of standards as well as wastewater treatment technologies and its market uptake.

In the Leaders' Statement EU-India following the visit of the President of the European Commission and the College of Commissioners to India on 27-28 February 2025, President Von der Leyen and Prime Minister Modi welcomed progress made by the second ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) that took place during the visit. They agreed on fostering deeper collaboration and strategic co-ordination at the intersection of trade, trusted technology, and green transition. They also welcomed the specific outcomes emerging from deliberations conducted between the EU College of Commissioners and their Indian counterpart Ministers. In particular, the Leaders directed the India-EU Trade and Technology Council to further deepen its engagement to shape outcome-oriented cooperation. Key areas include joint research and innovation for green and clean energy technologies with a focus on trusted partnerships and industry linkages across these sectors, including the recycling of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), marine plastic litter, and waste to green/renewable hydrogen. 

Cooperation and funding opportunities

Cooperation on research and innovation with India takes place through the EU’s research and innovation framework Programme Horizon Europe (2021-2027) based on calls of proposals open to participation of non-EU countries .

Most topics in Horizon Europe are open for cooperation with India and certain topics target or encourage the participation of Indian entities.

However, Indian participants are not automatically eligible for funding* by Horizon Europe and have to bring their own funding to the projects.

For details about the co-funding provided by the Government of India, see the Guide on the Complementary Funding mechanism

Indian researchers may of course also participate in Horizon Europe with other funding.

*In exceptional cases, the Commission or the relevant funding body may consider that the participation of a legal entity is essential for implementing the action (Article 23.2(b) of the Horizon Europe Regulation)

In addition, Indian researchers are eligible for EU funding through the European Research Council and Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (see below).

European Research Council

The European Research Council offers grants to researchers in all research domains for frontier research. Indian researchers are welcome to apply and if selected are eligible for funding to establish a research group in Europe.

Grants are available for researchers starting or consolidating their independent career and for advanced researchers. Synergy grants are also available, where a an Indian researcher may collaborate with at least 2 European researchers, with all funded by the ERC.

Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions

Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions Offer fellowships for post-doctoral researchers from India (and other countries) to spend up to 2 years in a European group – or for European researchers to spend up to 2 years in a lab in India. 

It also offers opportunities for Indian institutions to participate in Doctoral Training Networks and Staff Exchange consortia (Indian institutions are self-funded in DTNs and SE).

Project and results

EU-funded research projects involving India

Contact

National Contact Points

The National Contact Points (NCPs) provide guidance, practical information and assistance on all aspects of participation in Horizon Europe.

Research enquiry service

You can contact the research enquiry service to find out more about research in Europe, the EU's research and innovation funding programmes as well as calls for proposals and project funding.

European Commission

RTD-04-ASSISTec [dot] europa [dot] eu (DG Research and Innovation unit 04: International cooperation)

Euraxess India

Euraxess India provides access to a complete range of information and support services for researchers in India wishing to pursue a research career in Europe or looking for collaboration opportunities.

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