Policy background
India is a key strategic partner for Europe in research and innovation. Cooperation on research and innovation is a cross-cutting and integral part of the Joint EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda, adopted on 27 January 2026 at the 16th EU-India Summit, and building on the EU’s Joint Communication on the 2025 ‘New Strategic EU-India Agenda’. The Agenda will guide the cooperation on prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence, connectivity, global issues, and people-to-people cooperation.
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, and regularly renewed by both sides. Based on a positive evaluation and the strategic importance of the partnership, the STI Agreement has been renewed until 2030. Oversight of the agreement 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.
During the 16th EU-India Summit, Presidents Ursula von de Leyen and António Costa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launching of exploratory talks on the association of India to Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research and innovation programme. The first round of exploratory talks was officially held in New Delhi on 6 February 2026. Association is the closest form of international cooperation with the EU in R&I. If India becomes associated, Indian researchers and institutions would be able to receive funding directly from Horizon Europe and lead projects, with India making a financial contribution to the programme. India would then join the growing network of countries advancing science, innovation, and solutions to global challenges.
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 also concluded an Implementing Arrangement with the Indian Council on Social Sciences Research (ICSSR) facilitating short-term mobility to be hosted by European Research Council grantees.
On Euratom, two agreements are in place:
- European Atomic Energy Community and the Government of India Agreement 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 also a member of the ITER project.
The EU–India Trade and Technology Council (TTC)
In 2023, India and the EU launched the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) to enhance strategic dialogue and coordination in these key areas of the overall relationship. The TTC consists of three Working Groups:
- Strategic technologies and connectivity
- Green & clean energy technologies, and
- Trade, investments and value chains
The Green and Clean Technologies Working Group focuses especially on research and innovation cooperation, standards and investments, and it aims to facilitate trade in these technologies. DG Research and Innovation (R&I), European Commission, co-chairs Working Group 2 together with the Principal Scientific Advisor Office to the Government of India.
Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Ministerial meetings have taken place in May 2023, February 2025 and July 2026 to provide political guidance, agree on key joint actions and review progress.
At the third meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Brussels on 15 July the EU and India reaffirmed the TTC as a central platform for cooperation on trade, technology and security. Both sides also shared the objective to upgrade the current format of the TTC to facilitate work on specific value chains combined with stronger business engagement to deliver concrete outcomes
Among the main outcomes of the 3rd TTC Summit, the EU and India agreed to:
- start formal negotiations on 17 July 2026 on India’s association to Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship EUR 93.5 billion research and innovation funding programme with the aim of concluding them before the end of 2026 and for India to associate as from 2027
- launch an EU-India Startup Partnership, initially focused on deep tech and clean technologies
- establish the first EU-India Innovation Hub on Electric Vehicles (EV) Charging Technologies and Testing
Since the 2nd TTC meeting in Delhi in February 2025, work under the TTC has also enabled important advancements in:
- Collaborative research under Horizon Europe to support EU-India science and technology cooperation in marine pollution, waste-to-renewable hydrogen, and battery recycling for electric vehicles. These priority topics will be supported with a total joint investment of approximately €60 million:
- Marine pollution: Two projects, SEATRACE and HARMONY, will deploy AI-driven models and advanced biosensors across 39 pilot sites in the Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean to assess and mitigate complex pollutant impacts on marine ecosystems
- Waste-to-hydrogen: Two projects, BHARAT-EU and BioHAVEN, will develop pyrolysis of biomethane generated from agricultural and industrial biogenic waste combining different technologies to produce renewable hydrogen
- Battery recycling for electric vehicles (EVs): A project will be selected under the call for proposals launched in May 2026 and will focus on critical raw material recovery and battery circularity solutions
- Substantive knowledge exchange between EU and Indian experts:
- A workshop on Electric Vehicles Charging Technologies at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre E-mobility Lab in Ispra, Italy, deepened the bilateral dialogue and the industry's engagement in charging infrastructure standardisation processes. This will be the basis of the first EU-India Innovation Hub on EV Charging Technologies and Testing
- Co-creating and displaying practical solutions to tackle the challenges linked to plastic pollution through an EU-India Ideathon on combating Marine Plastic pollution, with joint EU and Indian teams demonstrating strong added value in terms of innovation capacity building, international collaboration, and early-stage solution development
In the second part of 2026, the EU and India will share knowledge on Hydrogen Valleys and will further work on hydrogen-related safety standards to compare approaches, discuss operational experience, and identify concrete future avenues for collaboration.
Areas of cooperation under Horizon Europe
The EU-India Summit also agreed to deepen cooperation under the EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, including in the fields of digital, energy, water, agrifood, health, semiconductors, biotech and advanced materials, particularly through mechanisms such as co-funding and coordinated calls.
This short report on EU-India research and innovation cooperation (2015–2026) highlights key trends in projects, co-publications, co-patents and policy impact.
Cooperation and funding opportunities
Cooperation takes place through Horizon Europe (2021-2027) based on calls of proposals open to the 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 also participate in Horizon Europe with funding provided by other sources.
*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)
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 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).
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-ASSIST
ec [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.
Documents
This short report examines research and innovation (R&I) cooperation between EU Member States and India over the past decade. It presents key figures and trends for the period 2015 to 2026, covering Framework Programme participation, co-publications, co-patents and policy influence.
The 16th EU–India Summit took place in New Delhi on 27 January 2026, marking a significant step forward in the EU–India Strategic Partnership. The leaders endorsed the Joint Strategic Agenda 2030, which deepens, broadens, and better coordinates cooperation between the EU and India.
The European Union and India are intensifying their ties as part of a new strategic agenda to enhance prosperity, security and tackle major global challenges together. This builds on the Strategic Partnership established in 2004 and is underpinned by shared interests and complementary strengths.
This report evaluates the EU-India Science and Technology (S&T) Agreement, set to be renewed for 2025–2030. EU-India S&T cooperation has evolved through Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, with Indian participation in 88 projects.