Stronger renewable energy collaboration between India and the European Union (EU) could give India access to advanced clean energy technologies currently being developed or deployed across Europe, government sources told CNBC-TV18. Meanwhile, the EU stands to gain from India’s large-scale deployment of renewable energy solutions, including national grid integration across its vast and diverse landscape.India and the EU have been negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) since June 2022, after talks resumed following an eight-year pause due to differences over the level of opening of the markets.The 10th round of negotiations is set to take place in Belgium’s capital Brussels from March 10 to March 14.
Last week, India hosted the first-ever joint visit of the EU College of Commissioners, with discussions centred on sustainability initiatives.India’s Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi met with European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera and EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen in New Delhi.The talks explored ways to strengthen renewable energy opportunities and scale up green infrastructure.Both India and the EU rely heavily on fossil fuel imports and are actively working to expand renewable energy adoption to reduce external dependency.Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, several EU nations have faced soaring energy costs due to disrupted Russian oil and gas supplies.The Work Plan for the 3rd Phase of the India-EU Clean Energy and Climate Partnership 2025-28 focuses on deeper cooperation in priority areas like Green hydrogen, offshore wind, regional connectivity, electricity market integration, smart grids, energy efficiency and climate diplomacy. The partnership includes green hydrogen cooperation via infrastructure development feasibility, regulatory and technology cooperation and strengthening of supply chains.
