The European Union and India have launched two significant research and innovation initiatives in 2025 to address marine pollution and advance waste-to-renewable hydrogen technologies. The EU and India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is investing a total of €41 million (Rs 394 crore) into these projects. These initiatives aim to foster collaborative solutions to environmental challenges and drive technological advancements.
Coordinated under the EU's Horizon Europe program and co-funded by Indian ministries, the research calls will unite researchers, start-ups, and industries from the EU and India. The first call addresses marine pollution, focusing on monitoring and mitigating the impacts of pollutants like microplastics and heavy metals. The EU is contributing €12 million (about Rs 110 crore) and the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences is contributing Rs 90 crore (around €9.3 million). The submission deadline for the marine pollution call is September 17, 2025.
The second call focuses on developing waste-to-renewable hydrogen technologies, with the EU contributing €10 million (around Rs 97 crore) and India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy contributing Rs 90 crore (around €9.3 million). Both calls are open to European and Indian organizations, with the submission deadline for the hydrogen call being September 2, 2025. These initiatives strengthen the EU-India partnership and reinforce the commitment to joint innovation.