EU-Indian S&T Collaboration

In the era of the rapid internationalization of science and technology, EU-India science and technology cooperation and relation have considerably improved over a decade with the signature of the EU-India Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement supported by regular revision and updating joint S&T priorities. This agreement is accomplished by the Directorate – General for Research of European Commission and by the Department of Science and Technology of the Indian government.

India has become a valuable partner with the EU in major international projects such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor or ITER (www.iter.org) project, GALILEO (http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/energy_transport/galileo/index_en.htm), the European Satellite Navigation system and the interlinking of India’s Education Research Network, ERNET, to its pan European equivalent GEANT2. Indian organisations representing from various academia and industry background are largely participating in the Framework Programmes. Between 2002 and 2006, nearly 90 projects were funded within the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) that involved Indian researchers.  S&T cooperation between EU and India has enhanced the important research communities from both the public and private sectors between India and Europe. S&T plays an important part in the EU-India Strategic Partnership. The Joint Action Plan which was drawn up for implementing this partnership contains a number of action points which have important S&T dimensions. The significance of EU-India cooperation in S&T has also been highlighted at the highest political level.

The “new climate” of S&T Cooperation was underlined at the India-EU Ministerial Science Conference (New Delhi 7-8 February 2008), providing new opportunities for promoting a strong and strategic partnership ‘existed for a significant increase in the breadth and depth of EU-India S&T co-operation, especially through the EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development 2007-2013 and India’s 11th Five Year Plan’. In FP7, nearly 160 Indian research organisations have been short listed for funding in over 100 projects. FP7 builds on the success of an already strong and growing Indian participation in EU Research Framework Programme.

Strong partnership between the EU and India, their large respective traditions in science and knowledge as well as the recent political impetus provided by the EU-India Ministerial Science Conference are now getting recognition through high quality and mutually beneficial cooperative programmes, projects and dialogues.

India is one of the few countries that have coordinated calls with the EU. The launch of the first ever EU-India Coordinated Call for Proposals on Computational Materials Science was a major milestone. Both the governments have committed €5 million each to fund this Call.

For more information on EU-India S&T collaboration and documents, please visit Delegation of European Union to India.

In our download section, you will find EU-India S&T agreements and relevant documents.

EU-India Bilateral S&T agreements

India has had bi-lateral S&T cooperation agreements with all the larger European countries and also the majority of the smaller EU member nations. India Gate Project will identify and map the bilateral agreements and provide a database of EU- India research initiatives and programmes. These bilateral programmes are online. Fo more details, click here.