Europe-India Strategic Dialogue

An Annual Initiative for Lasting Impact

Since 2017, Institut Montaigne’s Europe-India Strategic Dialogue has convened annually in a Track 1.5 format, bringing together policymakers, business leaders, think-tank experts, and academics from both sides to explore new ideas and opportunities for strengthening Europe-India relations. It offers an informal setting that complements official channels, fostering open and candid exchanges on mutual interests and the challenges that hinder deeper cooperation. The inclusion of targeted corporate participation enriches the dialogue with practical business insights from real-world experience. Each year, the discussions generate policy recommendations and actionable proposals, contributing to driving progress toward stronger bilateral ties.

Our 2025 Edition

The 2025 Europe-India Strategic Dialogue (October 21-22) was co-hosted with Ananta Centre and the European Union Institute of Security Studies (EUISS). The sessions this year covered: 

• implications for the EU and India of current geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts;
• the infrastructure framework that are IMEC and Global Gateway;
• the technological and digital cooperation, including within the EU-India Trade and Technology Council; 
• the prospects for a workable FTA and secure investment protection; 
• the ways to facilitate Indian mobility and migration in Europe;
• the current status and the future pathways in terms of security and defence cooperation; 
• and how maritime risks and hybrid threats in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region are fertile ground for strategic coordination.

Our 2024 Edition

The 2024 Europe-India Strategic Dialogue (October 21-22) was co-hosted with Ananta Centre and the European Union Institute of Security Studies (EUISS). The sessions this year covered: 

• the current dynamics of the EU-India strategic partnership, 
• the China factor in EU-India relations, 
• how the Russia-Ukraine war impacts our relationship, 
• our defense and supply chain resilience cooperation agendas,
• and to what extent the EU-India partnership can be driven by strategic technology cooperation.

A Key Focus: Strengthening EU Coherence

Institut Montaigne has consistently aimed to promote greater coherence and alignment among the 27 EU Member States in their engagement with India. The Europe-India Strategic Dialogue is complemented by intra-European exchanges involving the European Commission, Member States, and the European External Action Service, fostering stronger internal coordination. After the February visit of President Ursula von der Leyen and the college of Commissioners to Delhi, the 2025 edition came at a pivotal moment with the publication of a New Strategic EU-India Agenda in October and with the hope of a finalized free-trade agreement by year’s end. Our dialogue directly supports these efforts, helping shape a more unified and forward-looking partnership.

The France-India Strategic Partnership, established in 1998, encompasses deep and expanding cooperation across key areas, including defense, civil nuclear energy, space, cybersecurity, counter-terrorism, and intelligence. In recent years, the partnership has broadened to address the Indo-Pacific region, focusing on maritime security, environmental sustainability, climate action, and ocean governance.

Our Goal: a Pragmatic Roadmap for the Future

Strengthening the EU-India partnership alongside robust bilateral ties between India and individual EU Member States offers a practical way forward. As shared priorities among EU Member States and with India increasingly align on policy areas such as supply chain resilience, deterring economic coercion or diversifying outward investment, placing economic security cooperation at the heart of our common agenda becomes ever more essential. The new geopolitical order has also led to a diversification and deepening of the relationship to include, among others, clean technologies, labor mobility and defence projects.

The Europe-India Strategic Dialogue receives support from the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Policy Planning departments of the French and German Ministries of Foreign Affairs. 

Institut Montaigne’s recent publications on Indian foreign policy and Europe-India relations:

• India's Foreign Policy Conundrum Following the U.S. Tariffs Setback
• [Trump’s World] India: "The Theory of the United States’ Decline Is a Joke"
• How to Leverage the EU–India Partnership on Critical and Emerging Technologies?
• EU-India’s Commitment to a Strategic Relationship: Now or Never?
• [Scenarios] India 2050: Facing New Challenges
• Modi 3.0 and Europe-India Relations: What Next?
• India, a New Key Player in the Middle East
• China Trends #19 - The Hot Peace between China and India
• The Europe-India Balance Sheet: Trade, Like-Mindedness and Strategic Interests
• Up in Arms: Is Russia Losing the Indian Arms Market?
• How Should Europe Respond to India’s Self-Alignment?
• Cross-border Data Flows: the Choices for Europe
• An Alternative Supply Chain in India? Taiwan’s Experience