India, EU to firm up cooperation in AI, EVs, semiconductors & telecom

India and the European Union at their high-level meeting here this week are expected to agree to collaborate in areas such as artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, semiconductors and telecoms, with a focus on "secure and trusted" connectivity to provide an alternative to Chinese-led connectivity networks. The two sides hope to cooperate on harmonising the standards for EV charging infrastructure and set up a "joint research cooperation" focusing on recycling batteries for electric cars, ET has learnt. The projects will have a budget of E 60 million that is expected to come from the Horizon Europe programme as well as India.Meanwhile, India is pushing for stronger commitments from the EU on market access. Differences have emerged on this with the Indian side seeking stronger references in the Trade and Technology Council statement at this week's talks and the EU preferring to have the reference on this in the proposed free trade agreement.EU President Ursula von der Leyen, accompanied by the European Union College of Commissioners, will be in India on Thursday and Friday.This is von der Leyen's third trip to India. She had visited India in April 2022 on a bilateral official trip and in September 20023 to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and von der Leyen have met regularly on the sidelines of multilateral meetings.This will be the first ever visit of the EU College of Commissioners together to India and among the first such visits since the start of the mandate of the current European Commission in December 2024, after the European parliamentary elections held in June 2024.During the visit, the College of Commissioners and the Indian government will hold a plenary session, chaired by von der Leyen and Modi. Members of the College will also meet their counterparts individually, while von der Leyen and Modi will hold a bilateral meeting.The heavy-duty EU visit will also coincide with the second meeting of the Trade and Technology Council with the EU being represented by Vice-President Virkkunen, High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas, and commissioners Maros Sefcovic and Ekaterina Zaharieva, the EU announced last Friday.The council with India is the second such bilateral forum for the EU - the other one is with the US, launched in 2021. Officials in the know told ET that India will look at more collaboration and purchase with EU on the semiconductor front through the council meet, to be steered by the Ministry of Electronics and IT.