Editorial 2: ​The importance of India and Europe walking in step

Context

Their common values and strategic imperatives have the potential to forge a partnership rooted in conviction, paving the way for a more stable and equitable global order.

Introduction

In an era increasingly defined by disorder and divergence, as foreign policy experts search for innovative approaches, the India-Europe relationship emerges as a powerful example of diplomatic renewal. This partnership is grounded in deep civilisational ties, yet remains vibrant and relevant to contemporary challenges. While historical circumstancesmay have positioned them as distant players in each other’s geopolitical imagination, the current moment both demands and allows for a more deliberate and purposeful engagement.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s G-7 diplomacy and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s intensified outreach to Europe signal a deliberate strategic shift toward a continent undergoing significant transformation.
• This pivot goes beyond acknowledging Europe’s lasting economic influence or rich cultural heritage.
• It reflects a keen understanding of the changing global landscape, where traditional alliances are weakeningand new partnerships are beginning to take shape across different regions of the world.

An order upended, a partnership emerging

The transatlantic realm, long anchored by American leadership, finds itself Global Context: Strategic Realignments in Flux

• The United States under President Donald Trump created uncertainty in global diplomacy:
  • Adopted a transactional worldview.
  • Showed skepticism towards NATO and traditional alliances.
  • Displayed unsettling proximity to adversaries like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Result:
  • Long-time allies felt unnerved and strategically adrift.
  • The G-7, once a symbol of consensus-driven global governance, met recently amid discord and contention, rather than unity.

European & Transatlantic Response

• These shifts reflect a growing Eastward orientation as Europe looks for diversified partnerships.
• Europe seeks not just relevance but to emerge as an independent pole of global power.

Europe's Strategic Reinvention

• The concept of “strategic autonomy”, once seen as uniquely French, is now mainstream:
  • Berlin, Warsaw, and Brussels have embraced the idea.
  • Notable initiatives include:
    • Macron’s call for a European nuclear umbrella.
    • Germany's constitutional changes to allow higher military spending.
    • The Weimar Triangle’s (Germany, France, Poland) increasing assertiveness in Central Europe.

India’s Evolving Foreign Policy

• India is transitioning from non-alignment to a more assertive multi-alignment approach.
  • Navigating a world leaning toward U.S.-China bipolarity, India emphasizes:
    • Strategic autonomy
    • Partnerships based on shared values and rules-based order

India-Europe Convergence: Shared Aspirations

• Both sides act as aspirational middle powers, aligned in their vision for a multipolar world rooted in:
  • International law
  • Inclusive institutions
  • Pluralistic values

Economic ties as a corridor of opportunity

• Bilateral trade and investment between India and the EU have surged in recent years:
  • Between 2015–2022, EU FDI in India grew by 70%.
  • France’s investment alone soared by 373% in the same period.
  • In just the last three years, EU imports from India have doubled.
• Despite this momentum, the partnership remains underutilized — both sides are only scratching the surface of potential.

Fast-Tracking Trade & Sustainability

• The India-EU Trade and Investment Agreements must be accelerated, starting with an “early harvest” accord.
  • This should be sensitive to India’s green transition and development needs.
• The European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM):
  • Though well-intentioned, must be recalibrated through the lens of climate equity.
  • Climate ambition must not morph into climate protectionism.
• The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) offers immense promise:
  • Can evolve into a modern Silk Road spanning trade, enterprise, energy, and innovation.
  • A critical response to the Indo-Pacific’s need for transparent, sustainable, and sovereign infrastructure.

Technology: The Next Strategic Frontier

• Both partners view digital infrastructure as a public good, not a Big Tech monopoly.
• As PM Modi noted at the AI Action Summit, India and Europe can collaborate across the entire digital lifecycle:
  • From innovation to governance
  • From standards to regulation

Human Mobility: The Innovation Engine

• To sustain bilateral innovation, both sides must invest in human capital mobility.
  • A comprehensive mobility agreement for students, scientists, and scholars is essential.
• Benefits:
  • Enhances talent pools in both regions.
  • Eases unemployment in India.
  • Encourages cross-border innovation — in today’s world, ideas move value as much as capital does.

Defence, Security & Strategic Trust

• Europe is a key supplier of defence equipment to India.
  • With India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat and Europe’s ReArm 2025, there’s scope for:
    • Co-development
    • Technology transfers
• Areas of cooperation:
  • Maritime security
  • Cybersecurity
  • Space collaboration
  • Counter-terrorism efforts
• A political imperative:
  • Europe must adopt a stronger stance on Pakistan’s support for Islamist extremism — a challenge impacting both regions.

Normative Power: India-Europe as Middle Power Custodians

• In an age where great powers often pursue might over right, India and Europe must:
  • Act as custodians of a rules-based order, not relics of a bygone liberal ideal.
  • Prioritize stability through cooperation, not coercion.
• Their shared commitment to:
  • Multilateralism
  • Resisting hegemonic binaries
  • Empowering the Global South
    sets them apart from more prescriptive, top-down paradigms.

Global Forums Where This Partnership Can Shape the Future:

Changing minds, not just policies

• Perception Matters: The power of public perception should not be underestimated—it shapes cooperation as much as policy.
• Narrative Alignment: Public sentiment, media coverage, and political focus must align with strategic goals to build trust and momentum.
• Human-Centered Diplomacy: Strong international ties grow not just from summits and data, but through empathy, creative engagement, and consistent dialogue.
• Breaking Stereotypes:
  • Europe must shed outdated views of India as a reluctant partner.
  • India must engage with a deeper understanding of Europe’s internal transitions and complexities.
• Encouraging Developments:
  • The Raisina Dialogue in Marseille (June 2025) symbolizes renewed dialogue.
  • European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Delhi (Feb 2025) highlights growing political will.
  • India’s growing diplomatic outreach in the Mediterranean and Nordic regions marks a shift toward mutual engagement.

Conclusion

If the last decade has shown us anything, it is that history has a sense of humour—evident in the unpredictable dynamics of our interactions with the two iterations of the Trump Administration. However, the coming decade calls for something more serious: a strong sense of purpose. India and Europe, who have long been circling each other diplomatically, must now begin to walk in step, recognising that their shared values and strategic compulsions form the basis of a partnership grounded not in convenience, but in conviction. In each other, they may not find a mere mirror, but rather a window into building a more stable, inclusive, and equitable world.