The European Commission said it and India have concluded negotiations on India’s association to Horizon Europe, the EU’s 93.5 billion euro research and innovation programme for 2021 to 2027. Once the agreement is signed and procedures are completed on both sides, researchers and organisations in India will be able to receive programme funding directly and lead collaborative projects under Pillar II, the programme’s largest part, which funds multinational projects in fields including health, digital, space, climate and energy. Association is the closest form of cooperation Horizon Europe offers non-EU countries, with participants taking part on equal terms with EU counterparts and the associated country contributing financially.
Exploratory discussions began on February 6, 2026 and formal negotiations on July 17, 2026, and the Commission envisages association taking effect in January 2027. India would join 23 non-EU countries already associated to the programme, and the Commission said negotiations with Australia have also been concluded, with that agreement to be signed shortly.