Second Ministerial Meeting of India-EU TTC

The second meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was successfully held in New Delhi, India on 28 February 2025, marking a significant advancement in bilateral cooperation between India and the European Union (EU) in trade, technology, and innovation. The meeting was co-chaired on the Indian side by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar; Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal; and Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw. From the EU side, the co-chairs were Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Ms. Henna Virkkunen, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency Mr. Maros Šefčovič and Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ms. Ekaterina Zaharieva.

The Working Group 2 (WG2) session featured valuable updates and discussions on strengthening future cooperation. Significant interventions were delivered by Professor Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, and Ms. Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, both highlighting their shared vision for enhancing research and innovation (R&I) partnerships.

Dr. Monoranjan Mohanty, Adviser at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, presented a progress update of activities undertaken by Working Group 2 under agreed short-term and med/long term roadmap. Mr. Marc Lemaître, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, shared insights on planned deliverables and identified potential areas for future collaboration.

During the meeting, both sides agreed on joint research cooperation through exceptional coordinated calls on recycling of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), marine plastic litter, and waste-to-hydrogen with a joint estimated budget of EUR 60 million from the Horizon Europe programme and from matching Indian contributions. Key research areas identified were recycling of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), with a focus on battery circularity through different kinds of flexible/low cost/easy to recycle batteries; marine plastic litter, with initiatives aimed at improving detection, measurement, and analysis of aquatic litter as well as mitigating its environmental impacts; and waste-to-hydrogen technologies, focusing on enhancing efficiency in hydrogen production from biogenic wastes.

Furthermore, both sides agreed to explore cooperation on harmonising standards for EV charging infrastructure, including pre-normative research on testing solutions and knowledge exchange in e-mobility. They also agreed to enhance collaboration in hydrogen-related safety standards and promote the market uptake of wastewater treatment technologies resulting from previous joint research projects.

The meeting concluded with an engaging discussion emphasizing strengthened science and technology collaboration, identifying investment opportunities, and aligning technology standards between India and the EU. Both India and the EU reaffirmed their commitment to innovation-driven partnerships in clean energy and sustainability.

For further details, please refer to the Joint Press Statement here: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2107026