India and the European Union (EU) have successfully completed negotiations for India’s association with Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme. The association of India with the programme marks a strategic move into a long-term institutional framework of research cooperation between both sides, building on existing R&D projects and cooperation under the India–EU Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation and the India-EU Trade and Technology Council.
The association will facilitate Indian researchers, institutions and industry to participate in the calls for funding under the Programme through collaborative research projects, and have access to European consortia and cutting-edge research infrastructure. It will also deepen talent mobility and lead to co-development of critical technologies, standards and solutions at scale. The thematic clusters of Pillar II of Horizon Europe, which include health, digital technologies, industry and space, climate, energy and mobility, food and the bioeconomy, align closely with India's research priorities and can build on its scientific strengths. The association adds a significant value to the innovation ecosystem of the country as it marches towards Viksit Bharat 2047. An exploration of the possible association was launched after the historic India-EU Summit on January 27, 2026, and formal negotiations were initiated as an outcome of the ministerial meeting of the Trade and Technology Council held in Brussels on July 15, 2026.