India and the European Union have concluded negotiations on India’s association with Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme, which carries a budget of 93.5 billion euro. The deal means Indian researchers, businesses and research organisations will be able to receive funding directly from Horizon Europe and lead joint projects with European partners. The association is expected to take effect in January 2027, once both sides sign the agreement and complete their internal procedures.
What Horizon Europe association means for Indian researchers
Association is the closest form of research cooperation the EU offers to countries outside the bloc. Under the arrangement, Indian entities will be eligible for direct funding from Horizon Europe and will be allowed to lead collaborative projects under Pillar II, titled “Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness”. Pillar II is the largest part of the programme. It funds multinational research on health, digital technology, industry, space, climate, energy and the bioeconomy.
The programme’s budget covers the seven years from 2021 to 2027. Indian participation in Horizon Europe will be funded through the same calls as European researchers, with Indian teams able to coordinate projects rather than only join them. Officials on both sides have described the arrangement as a step that puts Indian science on the same footing as that of the programme’s other associated countries.
The European Commission announced the conclusion of the talks on 6 November. EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva said the association would create opportunities for researchers and businesses on both sides to develop technologies and address shared challenges. The Commission said the deal would strengthen scientific cooperation and deepen the strategic partnership between India and the EU.
For Indian universities and labs, the deal changes how they apply for European funding. Until now, they could join projects only as partners, without direct funding from the programme. Association lets them apply for grants in their own name and coordinate projects, which gives them a say in how the research is designed and run.
How Horizon Europe talks reached a conclusion
The two sides moved fast. Exploratory talks began on 6 February 2026, after the 16th EU-India Summit, where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the process. Formal negotiations started on 17 July 2026. The talks were concluded in less than four months, with the aim of wrapping them up before the end of 2026.
India will join 23 non-EU countries already associated with the programme, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland. Horizon Europe runs from 2021 to 2027. Its association model lets researchers in partner countries take part in the programme on near-equal terms with researchers in EU member states, while their governments make a financial contribution to the programme.
Horizon Europe and the wider India-EU agenda
Research and innovation are also part of the Joint India-EU Comprehensive Strategic Agenda towards 2030, adopted at the India-EU summit in January. The two sides have already agreed joint work on marine pollution, waste-to-renewable hydrogen and battery recycling for electric vehicles, backed by about 60 million euro in joint investment. The EU-India Trade and Technology Council has been the main forum for this work.
The science relationship between India and the EU rests on an Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation first signed in 2001 and renewed until 2030. Association with Horizon Europe builds on that agreement and gives Indian researchers a direct route into the programme’s funding. Once the formal agreement is signed, Indian institutions will be able to apply for grants and lead projects alongside European partners.
The two sides are likely to sign the formal agreement in January, according to reports from Brussels. Until then, both sides must complete their internal approval procedures. For Indian researchers, the change opens a funding programme worth tens of billions of euro, and a chance to lead research projects that span health, energy, digital technology and climate.