EU India join hands to find innovative research solutions to Marine Pollution and Waste to Hydrogen
New Delhi, 16 May 2025: The European Union (EU) and India launched two new significant research and innovation initiatives under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC), with a total investment of €41 million (₹394 crore). These initiatives will drive collaborative solutions to pressing environmental challenges and foster cutting-edge technological advancements.
Coordinated under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and co-funded by Indian ministries (MoES and MNRE), the two research calls will bring together researchers, startups, and industries from the EU and India to develop sustainable, scalable solutions with global impact. By strengthening the EU-India partnership, these initiatives operationalize the TTC’s goals and reinforce the commitment to joint innovation.
Combatting Marine Pollution
The first call focuses on combating marine pollution, particularly the pervasive issue of marine plastic litter.
Co-funded by the EU (€12 million/~₹110 crore) and Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (₹90 crore/~€9.3 million), this call seeks innovative solutions to monitor, assess, and mitigate the cumulative impacts of various pollutants, including microplastics, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants.
The resulting research will contribute to global efforts, including the support international commitments such as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and contribute to the objectives of the EU's Zero Pollution Action Plan and India's National Marine Litter Policy. By driving collaborative research and innovation, this initiative aims to protect marine ecosystems and promote sustainable development.
This call builds on earlier momentum, including a workshop on e-vehicle charging standards held in February and a successful matchmaking initiative that connected Indian and EU startups with potential partners and investors.
Information on the call: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-CL6-2025-01-ZEROPOLLUTION-05?order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=relevance&keywords=India&isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502,31094503&programmePeriod=2021%20-%202027&frameworkProgramme=43108390
Waste-to-Renewable Hydrogen Solutions
The second call focuses the development of waste-to-renewable hydrogen technologies. Hydrogen has emerged as a key area of collaboration between the EU and India, given its strategic role in driving the clean energy transition, enhancing energy security, and meeting long-term climate objectives.
This call, co-funded by the EU (€10 million/~₹97 Core) and India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (₹90 crore/~€9.3 million), aims to develop efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly methods for hydrogen production.
Both calls are open to European and Indian organisations, including companies, SMEs, startups, research institutions, universities, non-governmental organisations (NGO), and individual researchers. The submission deadlines are 2 September 2025 for the hydrogen call and 17 September 2025 for the marine pollution call.
Additional joint research calls are envisaged for 2026, including on recycling of batteries for electric vehicles and potential cooperation on wastewater treatment. Together, all these initiatives represent a joint investment of around €60 million under the TTC framework.
EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) The EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is a high-level strategic coordination platform aimed at strengthening the bilateral partnership on trade, technology, and innovation. The decision to establish the TTC was jointly announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2022. The Council was formally launched in February 2023, and its first ministerial meeting took place in May 2023.
As the EU’s second TTC (after the EU-US TTC), this mechanism reflects the growing geopolitical and economic alignment between the EU and India. It aims to promote secure, sustainable, and inclusive economic development while safeguarding shared democratic values.
EU-India Research & Innovation Cooperation: The EU-India Research and Innovation (R&I) Cooperation is a longstanding and strategic partnership, anchored in the 2001 Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and renewed recently in 2020. An EU India Joint Steering Committee oversees the partnership which supports joint research in key areas such as health, energy, digital and green technologies, water, and climate. It also promotes researcher mobility, startup networking, and innovation. With over 200 joint projects to date, this growing cooperation is evolving toward mission-driven, co-funded initiatives delivering tangible global impact.
More information
- EU-India TTC: Click here
- EU- India TTC second ministerial meeting: Click here
- European Commission – Horizon Europe: Click here
- Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES): https://www.moes.gov.in/
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy: https://mnre.gov.in/
Quote:
H.E. Mr. Hervé Delphin, EU Ambassador to India said “These research calls under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council demonstrate the dynamism of the EU India partnership, renewed by our leaders in Delhi last February. By tackling concrete issues like marine pollution and sustainable energy together, we’re driving innovation, circular economy and energy efficiency. Development of cutting edge technologies in these areas makes both economic and environmental sense. We are committed to a cleaner, more sustainable future that will benefit both the EU and India."
Mr Marc Lemaître, Director-General, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (RTD), European Commission said that- “Together the EU and India are putting forward €41 million for collaborative research. Our cooperation in two coordinated research calls into marine pollution and waste-to-renewable hydrogen shows our commitment to invest in a shared sustainable future.”
On the occasion of the launch of these calls Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India said that "Collaborative research is the cornerstone of innovation. These initiatives will harness the strengths of both Indian and European researchers to develop solutions that address our shared environmental challenges."
Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India mentioned that "Undertaking collaborative efforts through these joint calls in two very important areas like marine plastic pollution and waste to green hydrogen serves testament to our shared commitment for sustainable development".