Clean Tech and Quantum Science: The Next Steps for India and the EU
India and the European Union are joining forces to build a shared technological future. In a recent dialogue, India's Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, met with a delegation from the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.
The European team was led by Angelika Winzig, a Member of the European Parliament from Austria, and Raffaele Stancanelli, a Member from Italy. The meeting aimed to strengthen the India-EU strategic partnership, focusing on the early implementation of a Free Trade Agreement and finding new collaborative opportunities in science and technology.
Advancing AI and Quantum Tech
Pushing the boundaries of digital technology is a key focus of this partnership. During the talks, Dr Singh invited the European delegation to deepen cooperation in frontier areas, especially artificial intelligence and quantum sciences.
For artificial intelligence, India is looking closely at real-world applications in healthcare and scientific research, while ensuring that the technology is adopted in a responsible and trustworthy manner. At the same time, the leaders discussed how quantum technologies offer significant scope for cooperation across research, practical applications, skills training, and the development of a wider quantum ecosystem.
Building Secure Semiconductor Supply Chains
With the global economy depending heavily on secure digital infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing is a major priority. India brings a growing semiconductor and electronics ecosystem to the table. This pairs well with the European Union's efforts to build secure and resilient global supply chains. Dr Singh highlighted that both sides could explore synergies between India's national semiconductor initiatives and the EU Chips framework, paving the way for joint investments, research, and integrated ecosystem development.
Funding Clean Technology
Sustainable technology is another vital part of this bilateral relationship. To support long-term goals, officials pointed to the Anusandhan National Research Foundation and a EUR 10 billion Research, Development and Innovation initiative. This substantial fund aims to nurture deep-tech startups and support high-impact research.
Furthermore, under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council, the two partners are deploying a EUR 60 million joint investment spread over four years. This funding is directed at collaborative research for environmental solutions, including waste-to-hydrogen energy processes, reducing marine pollution, and recycling electric vehicle batteries.
Boosting Electric Mobility and Joint Research
To help speed up the shift to clean mobility, the partners discussed a proposed India-EU Innovation Hub on Electric Vehicle Charging Technologies and Testing. This hub aims to bring together research capabilities, testing infrastructure, and startup ecosystems from both regions.
Looking at the broader scientific picture, discussions are moving forward regarding India's association with the flagship Horizon Europe programme. While some legal and financial details are still being discussed, this association would allow Indian researchers to partner directly with European institutions on cutting-edge projects, creating new opportunities for global technological progress.
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