Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar spoke to the press on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, following the conclusion of the third meeting of the India-European Union Trade and Technology Council (TTC), sharing updates from the high-level bilateral dialogue between India and the 27-member European Union.

Context

The India-EU Trade and Technology Council was established in 2022 at a bilateral summit as an institutionalised mechanism to advance cooperation across trade, technology, digital governance, and supply-chain resilience. It represents one of the most structured bilateral frameworks India maintains with a major Western economic bloc. The third edition of the TTC meeting marks a continued deepening of this engagement, which has grown in strategic significance as both sides seek to align on emerging technology standards and investment flows.

Dr. Jaishankar, who has served as India's Foreign Secretary and as Indian Ambassador to the United States, China, and Singapore, brings extensive diplomatic experience to the India-EU engagement. His direct press interaction after the TTC meeting signals the importance New Delhi attaches to transparency and communication around the bilateral process.

Policy Backdrop

India's engagement with the EU through the TTC sits within a broader foreign policy posture of diversifying strategic partnerships with Western economies. New Delhi has pursued this approach to secure technology access, reduce supply-chain vulnerabilities, and establish itself as a credible partner in global technology governance. The TTC complements India's participation in the Quad, the G20, and various bilateral technology dialogues with individual nations.

Running parallel to the TTC process are ongoing negotiations between India and the EU for a comprehensive trade and investment agreement, which has seen renewed momentum in recent years. Progress on digital trade standards, semiconductor cooperation, and artificial intelligence governance frameworks are among the areas closely watched by stakeholders on both sides. The TTC provides a structured channel to advance these conversations at the technical and ministerial level simultaneously.

Stakeholders and Impact

Indian technology exporters and EU investors stand among the primary stakeholders in the TTC process, as outcomes from the council can shape the regulatory and commercial environment for cross-border technology trade. Agreements or understandings reached within the TTC framework can influence standards in areas such as data flows, digital infrastructure, and clean technology supply chains. Regulators on both sides also use the TTC as a forum to align on emerging governance frameworks before they harden into divergent rules.

For India, the council offers an avenue to engage the EU — a bloc with significant norm-setting power in global technology and trade regulation — as an equal partner rather than a rule-taker. For the EU, India's scale as a digital economy and its growing manufacturing base make it an indispensable partner in efforts to build resilient, diversified supply chains away from single points of dependency.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to any follow-up outcomes from working groups convened under the TTC on sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and digital trade. The next scheduled India-EU summit will be a key moment to assess whether the third TTC meeting has translated into concrete deliverables or a fresh policy mandate. Dr. Jaishankar's press interaction is likely to be followed by more detailed readouts from the Ministry of External Affairs outlining the specific agenda items addressed. The trajectory of the TTC will also be watched for its bearing on the broader India-EU free trade agreement negotiations, where technology provisions remain a central and complex chapter.