Brussels [Belgium], November 6 (ANI): The European Commission and India have efficiently concluded negotiations on India’s affiliation with Horizon Europe, the European Union’s EUR 93.5 billion key funding programme for analysis and innovation.
The settlement marks a milestone in EU-India relations, strengthening scientific cooperation, opening new alternatives for analysis, and deepening the bilateral strategic partnership. Once signed and ratified by each side, the affiliation is envisaged to take impact in January 2027, the European Commission said.Â
Under the settlement, researchers, companies, and analysis organisations in India might be eligible to obtain funding straight from Horizon Europe and lead collaborative tasks below Pillar II: ‘Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness’. As the biggest phase of the programme, Pillar II funds multi-national analysis tackling main societal and technological points, together with well being, digital, trade, area, local weather, vitality, and the bioeconomy.
Welcoming the event, Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, highlighted the mutual financial and scientific advantages of the landmark deal.
‘The settlement opens new alternatives for our companies,’ Zaharieva stated. ‘Horizon Europe will assist our researchers and innovators work collectively on what comes subsequent. We need Europe and India to be companions in creating the applied sciences that can form our future.’
Association represents the closest type of cooperation supplied by the EU to non-EU nations below Horizon Europe, permitting organisations from related international locations to take part on equal phrases with their EU counterparts in lined areas in change for monetary contributions to the programme’s finances.
The conclusion of negotiations follows exploratory talks launched on February 6, 2026, and formal negotiations initiated on July 17, 2026. Bilateral scientific cooperation between the 2 sides builds on the Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation-originally signed in 2001 and renewed till 2030-as properly because the Joint EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda in the direction of 2030, adopted on the EU-India Summit on January 27, 2026.
Technological collaboration has additionally expanded by means of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council, specializing in key digital domains comparable to synthetic intelligence, digital public infrastructure, semiconductors, high-performance computing, digital expertise, and 6G telecommunications. Further facilitating mobility within the ICT sector, the primary European Legal Gateway Office in India was launched final February.
Running from 2021 to 2027, Horizon Europe presently consists of 23 related non-EU international locations, starting from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan to South Korea and Switzerland. Negotiations have been additionally not too long ago concluded with Australia, with an settlement anticipated to be signed shortly.
Through this, Indian establishments would obtain grants straight from the European Commission, Indian scientists may lead and coordinate large worldwide analysis consortia and India would take part in this system on the identical phrases as EU Member States, in change for a good monetary contribution to this system’s finances. (ANI)