Syllabus: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Context and Strategic Framework
- India and the EU concluded the FTA alongside a Comprehensive Strategic Agenda for 2030.
- Agreement operationalises joint R&D in advanced semiconductors and human-centric artificial intelligence systems.
- Formal linkage created between the European AI Office and India’s National AI Mission.
- Objective focuses on strategic autonomy in critical technologies using shared data and research infrastructure.
Three Diplomatic Phases of Technology Cooperation
- Phase One: Roadmap to 2025 limited cooperation to cybersecurity, 5G, and data protection issues.
- Phase Two: 2022 Trade and Technology Council established Working Group on Strategic Technologies.
- Phase Three: 2023 Semiconductor MoU evolved from supply chain resilience to technology co-creation focus.
Semiconductor Strategy and Heterogeneous Integration
- FTA prioritises heterogeneous integration, combining logic, memory, and sensors into single chip packages.
- Strategy avoids dependence on capital-intensive 2–3 nanometre fabrication facilities.
- Advanced packaging enhances AI accelerator performance through memory-processor proximity.
- Agenda links semiconductor production to AI-focused design and prototyping vertical markets.
- India contributes around 20% of global chip design talent.
- EU provides research infrastructure like IMEC Belgium and Fraunhofer Germany.
Operational Mechanism: Blue Valleys
- Blue Valleys align Indian manufacturing standards with EU Single Market technical regulations.
- Enables direct integration of Indian components into European supply chains without re-certification.
Artificial Intelligence Regulatory Cooperation
- Creates a “common market” for AI data and regulatory alignment.
- European AI Office interacts directly with IndiaAI Safety Institute for technical coordination.
- Joint development of testing and evaluation benchmarks for AI safety and hallucination risks.
- Potential acceptance of mutual AI safety certification systems.
Financial and Innovation Instruments
- Proposal to associate India with Horizon Europe’s €95.5 billion research funding framework.
- Enables Indian entities to lead consortia and access EU research grants directly.
- European Innovation Council partners with Start-up India for patient capital in high-risk technologies.
- Funding corridor supports quantum computing and advanced semiconductor architecture ventures.