An India-European Union (EU) Meeting on Science & Technology Cooperation was held on 27^th Feb 2025 at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Vigyan Bhawan Annexe, New Delhi. The meeting was part of the various sectoral meetings being held in wake of the two-day visit of H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to India along with the College of Commissioners. The meeting was co-chaired by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and Ms. Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation.

On the Indian side, the meeting saw the participation of Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Dr. Sanjay Mishra, Scientist ‘H’, DBT, Dr. Monoranjan Mohanty, Adviser, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Dr. Praveen Kumar S, Head, International Cooperation, DST, Dr. Aparna Shukla, Scientist ‘E’, MoES and Dr. Hafsa Ahmad, Scientist ‘D’, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser. From the European Commission, Ms. Zaharieva was joined by Mr. Marc Lemaître, Director-General, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Ms. Nienke Buisman, Head of Unit, International Cooperation, Ms. Sophie Alexandrova, Deputy Head of Cabinet to Commissioner Zaharieva, Mr. Ivan Dimov, Member of Cabinet to Commissioner Zaharieva, Mr. Pierrick Fillon-Ashida, First Counsellor & Head of Research & Innovation Section, EU Delegation to India, and Dr. Vivek Dham, Policy Officer, Research & Innovation Section, EU Delegation to India. The meeting aimed to strengthen India-EU research partnerships and drive innovation in critical areas such as clean energy, water, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and climate change research.

During the discussions, both sides acknowledged the long-standing India-EU Science & Technology Agreement, originally signed in 2001 and renewed in 2015 and 2020, which is now set for extension for 2025-2030. The partnership has played a pivotal role in fostering research collaborations in water resource management, smart grids, clean energy, vaccine development, and climate change & polar research. The meeting highlighted significant achievements in wastewater treatment, vaccine innovations, and deep-sea exploration, which have emerged as key areas of cooperation between the two regions.

India’s rapidly growing innovation ecosystem, which ranks third globally in startup and unicorn creation, was recognized as a driving force behind the collaboration. The discussion also focused on India’s emerging expertise in renewable energy, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing & biotechnology etc.

The meeting also explored future opportunities in areas such as quantum computing, bio economy, green hydrogen, blue economy, EV & battery technology, high-performance computing, and responsible AI. Both sides emphasized the importance of joint funding mechanisms, increased scientific exchange programs, and stronger public-private partnerships to accelerate progress in these fields. In their concluding remarks, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood and Ms. Ekaterina Zaharieva reaffirmed their commitment to deepening India-EU scientific collaboration and leveraging joint expertise to address global challenges.

The meeting concluded with a networking session, where stakeholders discussed practical steps for scaling up joint projects. The India-EU Science & Technology Agreement continues to play a crucial role in strengthening this strategic partnership, fostering innovation, and enhancing mutual economic and technological benefits.

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MJPS/ST

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