The EU and India have concluded negotiations on India joining Horizon Europe, the EU’s €93.5 billion research and innovation programme.
India’s association would allow researchers, businesses and research organisations in Europe to collaborate more with Indian partners, the European Commission emphasised in a statement on Friday.
Once the agreement is signed and procedures are completed on both sides, organisations in India would be able to receive Horizon Europe funding directly and lead projects under Pillar II — the part of the programme that supports collaborative research on areas such as health, digital, industry, space, climate, energy and the bioeconomy.
Association is the EU’s closest form of cooperation with non-EU countries under Horizon Europe and allows participants in associated countries to take part on equal terms with EU organisations in the parts of the programme covered by the agreement, while contributing financially in return.
Signature still needed, with association planned for 2027
The talks now clear the way for the association agreement to be signed, subject to completion of internal procedures on both sides, with association envisaged for January 2027, the Commission said.
Exploratory discussions began on 6 February 2026 and formal negotiations started on 17 July 2026.
EU–India scientific cooperation is based on an Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation signed in 2001 and renewed until 2030.
Ekaterina Zaharieva, the European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said the agreement would open “new opportunities for our businesses” and support collaboration between researchers and innovators.
Horizon Europe runs from 2021 to 2027 and has 23 associated non-EU countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and Ukraine.
