India and the European Union reinforced their strategic partnership during the Third Ministerial Meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), held in Brussels on July 15, with both sides pledging to accelerate cooperation in trade, technology, clean energy, innovation, and resilient supply chains.
The Indian delegation was led by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Commerce & Industry Jitin Prasada. Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay K. Sood also accompanied the delegation during the two-day visit to Belgium from July 14–15.
The ministers co-chaired the TTC meeting with senior European Commission leaders, including Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, and Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva.
The discussions focused on addressing global supply chain disruptions, bridging technology gaps, improving market access, and strengthening collaboration in strategic technologies, digital connectivity, clean energy, trade, investments, and resilient value chains. Both sides agreed to further strengthen the TTC framework by expanding cooperation in research, innovation, and critical technologies while increasing industry and startup participation.
During the visit, the Indian ministers also called on European Council President António Costa, conveying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings and reviewing progress since the 16th India-EU Summit held earlier this year. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar separately met EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas to discuss the India-EU Strategic Partnership, developments in West Asia, regional stability, and maritime security.
On the sidelines of the TTC meeting, Jaishankar held discussions with EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela on connectivity initiatives, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), trilateral cooperation, and green shipping. He also met Commissioner Zaharieva to advance collaboration in research, innovation, clean energy technologies, and India's potential association with the Horizon Europe programme.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met EU Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen and Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, while his discussions with Commissioner Šefčovič focused on the early signing and effective implementation of the proposed India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and expanding bilateral trade and investment.
At the European Parliament, Goyal met Bernd Lange, Chair of the Committee on International Trade, while Minister of State Jitin Prasada participated in a roundtable hosted by MEP Angelika Niebler on strengthening cooperation in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and digital innovation.
The visit also featured significant bilateral engagement with Belgium. Jaishankar co-chaired the inaugural India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot. The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in defence, security, mobility, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, maritime affairs, ports, semiconductors, and resilient supply chains.
Goyal met Belgian Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval to discuss trade, investment, and agri-food cooperation. The Indian delegation was also hosted by Flanders Minister-President Matthias Diependaele.
Business and industry engagement formed a key component of the visit. Indian ministers participated in the India-EU Business Roundtable alongside Belgian regional leaders, where discussions centred on leveraging the proposed India-EU FTA to deepen economic ties with European businesses.
Goyal met Thomas Colinet, Managing Director of Thales Belgium, to explore manufacturing collaboration in India. Meanwhile, Jitin Prasada visited Barco NV and the semiconductor research hub IMEC, where discussions focused on expanding semiconductor research and technology partnerships.
The visit underscored the growing momentum in India-EU relations and reaffirmed both sides' commitment to advancing cooperation across trade, technology, innovation, clean energy, and strategic sectors, while also strengthening India's bilateral engagement with Belgium.
