24 - 09 - 2026

India–Europe Partnerships Must Move from Cooperation to Co-Creation: TIA Summit

India’s partnerships with European countries must move beyond trade and formal agreements toward joint production, technology development and regional problem-solving, speakers said at the 10th edition of The India Advantage Summit (TIA Summit).

Held under the theme “Global Collaborations for a Sustainable and Resilient Future,” the summit examined how India and its international partners can work together on sustainability, resilient supply chains, innovation, education and industrial development. The session brought together diplomats, business representatives, academics, policymakers and regional leaders from Europe and India.

The discussions came against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, disrupted transport routes, energy pressures and growing competition for critical technologies. Speakers argued that these challenges require partnerships built around shared capabilities rather than conventional buyer–seller relationships.

Shift toward practical collaboration

Opening the international partnerships discussion, Professor Lehman, President of Hof University of Applied Sciences and head of the Bavarian Indian Center, said long-standing academic and institutional ties with India had created a strong basis for deeper cooperation. Hof University has worked with India for two decades, while the Bavarian Indian Center has supported collaboration among Bavarian universities and Indian institutions for 18 years.

The university currently has about 1,000 Indian students. Professor Lehman identified artificial intelligence, climate change and demographic pressures as major global challenges, and called for stronger links among young people in India, Germany and Europe. He also advocated closer cooperation among democratic partners, including India, Europe, Canada, Australia and Japan, saying such relationships would be essential to addressing shared global challenges.

The focus on talent and long-term institutional connections was reinforced by Dr. Oliver Bär, District Governor of Hof, Bavaria. He highlighted the scale of India’s contribution to Hof’s education and labour ecosystem: Indian students account for roughly 25% of enrolment at Hof University, while around 75% of Indian graduates remain in Germany after completing their examinations and nearly half remain a decade after their master’s degrees.

Bär pointed to Hof’s capabilities in green technologies, smart textiles, new materials, drones and new-energy manufacturing as potential areas for collaboration with India. The district, he added, has the highest number of wind turbines in Bavaria.

Trade agreements expected to open new opportunities

Trade and investment representatives described recent and anticipated agreements as important enablers of deeper commercial engagement. Divya Bajaj, Vice President at London & Partners, said London’s relationship with India was being driven by strong investment and people-to-people links. India is London’s leading source of foreign investment, while people of Indian origin account for approximately 6% of the city’s population.

She highlighted the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, following four years of negotiations, as a potentially significant development. The agreement is expected to reduce tariffs on 90–99% of goods and generate an estimated 25 billion in additional annual revenue for the two countries.

Madhusoothanan Vijay, Regional Director of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, said interest in India–Germany cooperation was rising among both German federal states and Indian states. A recent delegation of chamber leaders, including approximately eight local chamber chief executives, had visited India to explore new partnerships.

Vijay identified lower machinery tariffs as a potential boost to Indian manufacturing. He cited the country’s relatively low forklift penetration—more than 2,000 forklifts per million people, still below a quarter of the levels seen in leading markets—as an example of the industrial opportunities available to German companies and Indian manufacturers.

He said Germany’s Mittelstand companies, which account for more than 60% of the German economy, could find substantial opportunities in India through technology partnerships, manufacturing collaboration and market expansion.

Resilience, cybersecurity and civic cooperation

The summit also broadened the definition of international cooperation beyond trade and investment. Judith Weinberger-Singh, Resident Representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation India, described the foundation’s work on India–Germany strategic priorities, youth leadership and non-traditional security.

Its Youth for Governance fellowship brings young leaders into decentralised governance initiatives, including engagement with decision-makers in Mysuru. A solution-providing committee allows participants to develop proposals whose recommendations can feed into the city corporation’s work.

The foundation’s India Europe Resilience Forum focuses on challenges such as energy security, resilient supply chains and cybersecurity. A related summer academy brings participants from different disciplines into policy discussions, while the foundation also coordinates the Bavaria–Karnataka police partnership on technology, cybersecurity and the development of safe, citizen-friendly cities.

Czech Republic calls for “co-creation”

The need for joint ownership of projects was central to the remarks of Josef Hrubec, Director of CzechTrade India, Bengaluru, and Regional Director for the Middle East and India. Hrubec traced Czech–Indian industrial links to the 18th century and cited the role of Czechoslovakian companies in building power plants in India. He also referred to the local manufacturing histories of Bata shoes and Jawa motorcycles.

Today, Czech companies operating in India are active in mining, engineering, healthcare, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Hrubec estimated that around 20 to 30 Czech companies operate in southern India, with a similar number in the north.

He announced that a 50-member business delegation led by the Czech Ministry of Trade was expected to visit India in the following weeks, travelling to several major cities. Describing India as a priority market for the Czech Republic, he said the relationship should be defined not merely by cooperation but by “co-creation.”

“We need to co-create things for the world,” Hrubec said, arguing that partners should share ownership in developing solutions rather than simply exchanging services or products.

Denmark expands partnership

Peter Winther-Schmidt, Consul General and Head of Innovation at the Consulate General of Denmark in Bengaluru, said Denmark and India were entering a new phase in a relationship that extends over 70 years. He noted that Larsen & Toubro was founded by two Danes, an example of the historical depth of the relationship.

The five-year India–Denmark Green Strategic Partnership created a government-to-government framework for cooperation in sustainability. According to Winther-Schmidt, it is expected to be followed by a new comprehensive strategic partnership before the end of 2026.

The next agreement is intended to place greater emphasis on industry and commercial collaboration. Existing areas of cooperation include water, energy, life sciences, agriculture, marine sectors and technology; space and defence are expected to be added.

Danish ministers are scheduled to visit India in November, accompanied by Danish companies participating in a Bengaluru follow-up to Denmark’s Tech BBQ innovation event. Winther-Schmidt said the level of cooperation was likely to increase substantially as the relationship became more industry-focused.

Bavaria seeks stronger regional and industrial links

Ulrike Müller, Member of the Bavarian State Parliament, outlined plans for a Bavarian economic delegation to India in February 2027. The delegation, led by the state secretary for economic affairs, is expected to explore opportunities in pharmaceuticals, life sciences, aerospace, defence and mobility.

Müller said Bavaria already had a substantial economic presence in India, with approximately 1,500 Bavarian companies operating in the country and about 300 joint ventures. Bavaria and Karnataka have maintained a partnership for more than 25 years.

She also addressed the status of the India–European Union free trade agreement. While negotiations were described as concluded in principle at the end of January, the geographical indications chapter and investment protection agreement remain to be addressed separately. The ratification process will require translation into 24 languages and approval by all 27 EU member states as well as the European Parliament.

Müller said regional partnerships could turn a broad EU–India agreement into concrete projects by linking industrial capacity, research, digital innovation, sustainable technologies and skills development. “We are politicians, we are bridge builders,” she said. “We don’t want to speak, we want to react.”

Italy emphasises production, supply-chain security and connectivity

Giandomenico Milano, Consul General of Italy in Bengaluru, placed India–Italy relations within the wider context of geopolitical and economic instability. He said the relationship had been elevated in May to a special strategic partnership, the highest level in the countries’ bilateral framework. The partnership covers defence, space, energy, critical technologies, infrastructure, education and mobility.

Milano argued that economic growth and strategic stability could no longer be treated as separate issues. Supply chains, energy prices, technology access, connectivity and critical materials had all become geopolitical concerns.

Italy and India, he said, bring complementary strengths: India offers scale, talent, a growing market and an expanding innovation ecosystem, while Italy contributes manufacturing expertise, engineering capabilities, specialised technologies and a strong base of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The objective should be joint value creation rather than simply increased sales, Milano said. Italy’s location and its role in the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor could also help strengthen trade routes and diversify supply chains.

From agreements to measurable outcomes

Across the session, speakers consistently returned to the need to convert diplomatic relationships and trade frameworks into practical regional initiatives. The most promising areas identified included clean energy, water management, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, life sciences, aerospace, defence, mobility and skills development.

The summit’s central message was that resilience will depend on partnerships capable of sharing technology, talent, production and risk. As moderator Jose Jacob K, Chairman of the TIA Summit and Future ICT Forum, put it, the task is to transform longstanding connections into stronger links and a fabric capable of carrying both India and its international partners forward.

The upcoming Czech business delegation, Danish ministerial visit, Bavarian economic mission and proposed India–Europe agreements will provide early tests of whether that ambition can be translated into concrete projects.

By Subramanya Joshi