New Delhi: India and the European Commission have concluded negotiations on India’s association with Horizon Europe, a move expected to significantly strengthen scientific and technological collaboration between the two sides and deepen their strategic partnership, it was announced on Friday.
The agreement, once formally signed and approved through the required procedures, will allow Indian researchers, businesses and research organisations to participate more closely in Horizon Europe, the European Union’s research and innovation framework with a budget of 93.5 billion euros for the 2021-2027 period.
Under the arrangement, Indian entities will be able to receive direct funding from Horizon Europe and lead collaborative projects under Pillar II, titled “Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness.”
The pillar supports multinational research and innovation initiatives in sectors such as healthcare, digital technologies, industry, space, climate, energy and bioeconomy.
The European Commission said the partnership would create fresh opportunities for Indian and European researchers to combine expertise, develop new technologies and address common global challenges through joint projects.
Association represents the EU’s highest level of research cooperation available to non-member countries under Horizon Europe.
It allows organisations from associated countries to participate on equal terms with their counterparts in the European Union in areas covered by the agreement. In return, participating countries make a financial contribution to the programme.
The conclusion of negotiations clears the path for both sides to sign the association agreement after completing their respective internal procedures. The partnership is expected to come into effect from January 2027.
The development follows exploratory discussions launched in February 2026 and formal negotiations that began in July this year.
India and the EU already share a long-standing scientific relationship under their Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation, first signed in 2001 and recently renewed until 2030.
Research and innovation also form a key pillar of the Joint EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda towards 2030 adopted at the EU-India Summit in January 2026.
In recent years, cooperation has expanded through the EU-India Trade and Technology Council, which focuses on areas including artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, semiconductors, high-performance computing, digital skills and next-generation telecommunications technologies.
(IANS)
