Date: 17 Jul 2026
Thank you very much. As you have just heard, we have had a very productive meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC), and you will see that from the Joint Statement that we will be releasing at the end of our meeting.
2. The international economy, which is the larger context in which we are meeting today faces a number of critical and interlinked challenges. There are concerns about over dependence on limited sources of production, as well as volatility of market access. The solutions lie in de-risking through more diversified production and ensuring predictable markets. When we speak about a multi-polar world, it is essential to recognize the economic and technological value of multi-polarity. Strengthening resilience of supply chains is today clearly a global priority.
3. Then, there is the question of establishing trusted partnerships. We are witnessing multiple distortions that reflect non-market practices, subsidies and gaming the global trading system. As open societies and as market economies, India and the EU have a natural affinity. The rule of law and the sanctity of contracts are central to our thinking. When it comes to sensitive technologies, this is all the more important. The fact is that emerging technologies literally hold the potential to shape our lifestyle and future. India and the European Union have developed this trust with each other and now strive to take that into the business and technology domains.
4. The third aspect of our discussions relates to exchanges and mobility of talents and skills, as you have just heard again. This is invaluable when it comes to development of technology. To a considerable degree, there is a trust factor at work here as well. Such mobility is strengthened by joint research, academic projects and other forms of collaboration. Deep tech startup partnerships hold great promise in this regard. We will be starting negotiations for India’s association with the Horizon Europe programme. It is also worth noting that joint research calls in areas like waste to green hydrogen, combating marine pollution and EV battery recycling are now at a pilot-scale validation and will hopefully go beyond. Today we have also agreed to establish the first Innovation hub on EV charging infrastructure standards.
5. This 3rd TTC meeting also breaks new ground by holding a business roundtable in parallel. That has been a good experience and we hope to continue it, and I will request my ministerial colleagues who will speak after me to share their thoughts on the particular Working Groups that they oversee.
6. So let me conclude by saying that the India-EU is today poised to reach greater heights. The Free Trade Agreement, the Security and Defence Partnership and the Mobility Framework have been its key achievements this year. The potential of our ties will be realized through the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Strategic Agenda. The TTC plays a notable role in that regard and I am confident that today’s meeting will take that agenda forward. Thank you very much.
Brussels
July 15, 2026
