New Delhi, Nov. 9 -- The successful conclusion of negotiations on India's association to Horizon Europe appears to be much more than a technical research agreement. Strategically, it is one of the clearest indicators that EU-India relations are moving from a mainly political and trade-oriented partnership towards a deeper knowledge, technology and innovation-driven partnership.

Association to Horizon Europe, the EU's 93.5 billion euro flagship research and innovation programme, is the EU's closest form of research cooperation available to non-EU member countries, placing India in a select group of partners that can participate on near-equal terms in parts of the programme.

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, on Friday 6 No...