India, EU strengthen strategic partnership at 3rd TTC; announce cooperation in AI, semiconductors, clean technologies
The third ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was held in Brussels, reaffirming cooperation in trade, technology, and security
Both sides agreed to explore a Joint Artificial Intelligence Roadmap and deepen cooperation on high-performance computing, quantum technologies, and responsible AI governance
On semiconductors, a joint India-EU roundtable was announced to be held during Semicon India 2026, alongside deeper collaboration in research and capacity building
Formal negotiations were confirmed to begin on India's association with the EU's Horizon Europe research programme, backed by a EUR 60 million joint research investment over four years covering areas like waste-to-hydrogen and EV battery recycling
The meeting follows the conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations earlier in 2026, giving the TTC's technology and supply-chain cooperation a broader trade framework to sit alongside
India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC)
The TTC is a ministerial-level coordination mechanism to align trade, technology, and security policy between India and the European Union. It was announced by the Indian Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission in New Delhi in April 2022, and formally launched on 6 February 2023, with the first ministerial meeting held in Brussels on 16 May 2023.
Key Details
- India is the first and only country with which the EU has established a TTC (the EU's other TTC is with the United States)
- It works through three Working Groups: (1) Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance and Digital Connectivity; (2) Green and Clean Energy Technologies; (3) Trade, Investment and Resilient Value Chains
- The TTC is distinct from a trade agreement — it is a policy-coordination and dialogue mechanism, not a legally binding treaty
The third TTC meeting builds on the two prior ministerials by adding concrete deliverables (AI roadmap, Semicon India roundtable, Horizon Europe talks) under the existing three-working-group structure.
India-EU Free Trade Agreement (concluded January 2026)
Negotiations for a comprehensive India-EU FTA, running for nearly two decades with an intensive relaunch from 2022, were concluded on 27 January 2026 at a summit in New Delhi, covering goods, services, and regulatory cooperation across roughly 20 of 24 negotiating chapters at conclusion.
Key Details
- The FTA still requires legal vetting, translation, and approval by the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, and India's Union Council of Ministers before entry into force, expected in early 2027
- It is separate from the TTC — the FTA governs tariffs and market access, while the TTC governs technology/security cooperation and standard-setting
- India's other major FTAs for comparison: India-UAE CEPA (2022), India-Australia ECTA (2022), India-UK CETA (signed July 2025, in force July 2026)
The TTC's technology cooperation (AI, semiconductors, clean tech) is designed to complement the market-access gains of the newly concluded FTA, giving India-EU relations both a trade and a technology-security pillar.
Horizon Europe Association
Horizon Europe is the EU's flagship research and innovation funding programme. Non-EU countries can become "associated countries," letting their researchers receive direct EU grants and lead consortia, in exchange for a financial contribution to the programme's budget.
Key Details
- India currently participates only via a Co-Funding Mechanism, where Indian researchers join EU projects but must secure funding from Indian ministries rather than the EU directly
- Exploratory talks on India's association began in New Delhi on 6 February 2026, under the EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda Towards 2030
- 22 non-EU countries are currently associated with Horizon Europe, including Norway, Israel, and the United Kingdom; Japan's association negotiations concluded in December 2025
The TTC meeting's confirmation of formal Horizon Europe association talks, backed by the EUR 60 million joint research fund, marks a shift from India's current indirect co-funding arrangement toward full programme membership.
- TTC launched: 6 February 2023; first ministerial: 16 May 2023, Brussels; this was the third ministerial meeting
- India-EU FTA concluded: 27 January 2026, New Delhi; expected entry into force: early 2027
- Horizon Europe joint research investment announced: EUR 60 million over four years
- Horizon Europe associated countries: 22 non-EU countries as of 2026
- TTC Working Groups: 3 (Strategic Technologies/Digital; Green/Clean Energy; Trade/Investment/Value Chains)
- India-EU TTC is the EU's second TTC overall, and the first with any partner other than the United States