The India–EU Trade and Technology Council has emerged as the anchor of a strategic tech partnership. Examine with reference to recent developments.

The India–EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was set up in April 2022 [1]. It is a ministerial forum that joins trade, technology and security on one table. Its recent outputs show it has become the main platform of the partnership, though some gaps remain.

Institutional design: why it can anchor

• Top-level ownership: three Indian co-chairs, the External Affairs, Commerce and IT Ministers, sit with three EU Commissioners [1].
• Three working groups: strategic technologies and digital governance; green and clean energy technologies; and trade, investment and resilient value chains [2].
• Regular meetings: the first ministerial was held in Brussels in May 2023 [2] and the second in New Delhi in February 2025 [1].

Recent deliverables across sectors

• Semiconductors: an India–EC MoU on semiconductor ecosystems was signed in November 2023 [3]. The two sides then agreed to explore joint R&D in chip design and heterogeneous integration [1].
• AI and 6G: the EU AI Office and the IndiaAI Mission agreed to deepen cooperation, including on large language models. An MoU between the Bharat 6G Alliance and the EU's 6G industry body was welcomed [1].
• Clean technology: joint research calls worth about €60 million were agreed on EV battery recycling, marine plastic litter and waste-to-hydrogen [1]. These led to calls worth about ₹391 crore [4] and a €15.2 million EV-battery call that includes a joint pilot line in India [5].
• R&D framework: exploratory talks on joining Horizon Europe began at the January 2026 Summit [6]. Negotiations have since concluded, and the TTC is credited with the high-level coordination [7].

Limitations

• Trade friction: the EU's CBAM still burdens Indian SMEs. The TTC discusses it but has not resolved it [1].
• Modest scale: the joint calls are small and need matching Indian money [1].
• Unfinished work: concluding negotiations is not the same as an agreement in force. Contribution terms, IPR and data-sharing rules are still unclear.

In sum, the TTC has turned scattered MoUs into a structured pipeline covering semiconductors, AI, 6G, green technology and now research. To keep it as the anchor, India and the EU should settle CBAM concerns, increase co-funding and bring the Horizon association into force. This would also support India's Viksit Bharat 2047 goal and SDG 9 on innovation.