New Delhi, July 17, 2026
The European Union (EU) and India have agreed to deepen ties on trade and technology, making India only the second country after the United States to have this level of formal partnership with Brussels, according to a report in The European Conservative news portal.
The move sends a clear political message that Brussels wants India to play a much bigger role in its supply chains, technology sector and wider economic strategy, the report states.
The third meeting of the EU–India Trade and Technology Council took place in Brussels on Wednesday, bringing together three Indian ministers and three members of the European Commission.
India was represented by External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada. The European delegation was led by Henna Virkkunen, Maros Sefcovic and Ekaterina Zaharieva.
The council was first launched by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022. However, both sides agreed on Wednesday to expand its role before the end of the year.
The new plans include opening talks on India’s participation in the Horizon Europe research programme, creating a joint centre for electric vehicle charging technology, launching an alliance of high-tech start-ups, and expanding cooperation on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, supercomputers, quantum technology and 6G networks.
The two sides also agreed to work more closely on pharmaceutical, food and energy supply chains, the article by Javier Villamor points out.
The EU bloc is betting that India will become one of the main pillars of its future economic strategy. It is one of Brussels’ biggest diplomatic and commercial investments in recent years, the article observes.
The move also reflects a wider recognition that the global economy can no longer revolve around the transatlantic relationship alone. India is not joining the partnership as a junior ally, but as a major power with interests of its own. How the two sides manage those different interests will shape the future of the relationship, the article states.
Brussels is focusing on India’s growing industrial strength, large population and strategic position as a country that maintains its independence from Washington, Beijing and Moscow, the report added.(Agency)
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