Jaishankar, Goyal participate in India-EU Business Roundtable, highlight growing synergy in partnership
Brussels, July 15
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and MoS Jitin Prasada participated in the third India - EU Business Roundtable on Wednesday, where discussions were held on the growing partnership between India and Europe, now taken further by the Free Trade Agreement.
In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar hailed the discussions which took place Matthias Diependaele and Adrien Dolimont Minister - Presidents of Flanders and Wallonia, and business representatives from both countries.
He lauded the energy and enthusiasm for deeper business, investment and R&D collaborations and noted that he highlighted the growing trust and comfort in India's partnership with Europe, now taken further by the India - EU FTA, along with the importance for businesses to meet the ambition and potential of the relationship.
Describing the discussions at the roundtable, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the talks reflected a shared commitment to expanding economic engagement through deeper collaboration in trade, investment, technology and innovation, while identifying new avenues for business partnerships.
As talks continue across key sectors between India and EU, earlier on Wednesday, Jaishankar met EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva and held discussions over opportunities for research in clean and green energy technologies, innovation hubs, startups and association with Horizon Europe.
He also met Glad to meet European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela on Wednesday and spoke about advancing the cooperation in connectivity, trilateral partnerships, IMEC and green shipping.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held extensive talks with top European leaders, noting that New Delhi and the European Union have made major strides in bilateral ties following their high-level summit held in January.
During his two-day official visit to Belgium from July 14 to 15, the External Affairs Minister on Tuesday deliberated on a wide range of bilateral issues, including trade, technology, security, maritime commerce, and supply chain resilience, with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas.
Jaishankar's visit to Brussels comes as part of the last leg of the multi-nation visit, where he held discussions with countries in West Asia and launched India's official campaign for the non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council's 2028-29 term.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally some concrete action on the India-EU FTA after years of talks! The focus on clean energy collaboration is particularly promising - India needs European tech for our green transition. Hope this translates into real investments in solar manufacturing and hydrogen projects back home.
Good diplomatic move, but let's be honest - EU trade deals are notoriously slow. Remember how long the Canada deal took? And carbon border tax is a real concern for Indian steel and chemical exporters. Need more clarity on how this FTA will address CBAM or it could hurt our manufacturing.
As someone working in EU-India trade, this roundtable is significant. The inclusion of startups and innovation hubs shows both sides want more than just tariff reduction. Horizon Europe association for Indian researchers is huge - our talent pool combined with EU funding could produce amazing outcomes.
Also important is the IMEC connectivity discussion - India-Middle East-Europe corridor can rival China's BRI. But implementation will be tough with ongoing Middle East tensions. Good to see our diplomats thinking long-term though. 👍
Interesting to see Belgium hosting this - Flanders and Wallonia both have strong tech and pharma sectors. India should leverage these regional connections. The FTA needs to address IP protection for pharmaceuticals though - a sensitive topic but crucial for European investment in Indian R&D.
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