NEW DELHI, September 23, 2026 – Underscoring a mutual commitment to strengthening bilateral economic ties, a high-level European Parliament Committee delegation on Industry, Research & Energy (ITRE) called on Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, at Kartavya Bhawan on Tuesday. Led by Austrian MEP Angelika Winzig and Italian MEP Raffaele Stancanelli, the delegation held extensive discussions with the Indian side focusing heavily on the early and effective implementation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). During the bilateral meeting, Dr. Singh emphasized that the swift signing and ratification of the FTA must remain a collective priority for both regions, asserting that the comprehensive agreement would unlock vast new opportunities for businesses, consumers, and skilled professionals while providing substantial momentum to the multifaceted strategic partnership.
Beyond trade and commerce, the high-level dialogue placed a significant emphasis on deepening collaboration across critical and emerging technological sectors. Minister Singh formally invited greater India-EU cooperation in frontier areas, including Artificial Intelligence, quantum technologies, advanced materials, biotechnology, high-performance computing, and next-generation 6G telecommunications. Discussing Artificial Intelligence, he noted that India is particularly focused on responsible and trustworthy AI adoption, specially targeting applications in healthcare and the sciences. On the critical front of semiconductor manufacturing, the Minister highlighted India’s rapidly growing electronics ecosystem, suggesting that robust synergies could be explored between India’s ongoing domestic semiconductor initiatives and the European Union’s Chips framework to secure resilient global supply chains.
The visiting European delegation featured prominent parliamentary voices including Mohammed Chahim, MEP from the Netherlands and S&D Vice-President, alongside Spanish MEPs Raúl de la Hoz Quintano and Nicolás González Casares. To mirror the European delegation’s technical expertise, the Indian side comprised top-tier scientific leadership, including Dr. Rajiv Jaiswal from the Department of Space, Dr. Nisha Mendiratta and Dr. Praveenkumar Somasundaram from the Department of Science & Technology, Dr. Dhananjay Tiwary from the Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Prabhasis Bandyopadhyay from the CSIR, and Dr. Anil Chauhan from the Department of Atomic Energy. The comprehensive meeting also reviewed the ongoing implementation of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council and evaluated the current state of play regarding India’s strategic association with the Horizon Europe research program, reinforcing the vast scope for future engagement in innovation and clean technologies.
Published by True Roots Media Network