IANS | 09 Apr, 2024
In a fillip to the country’s electric vehicle (EV) goals, the
European Union (EU) and India on Tuesday joined hands to promote
startups working in the area of battery recycling technologies for EVs.
The
collaboration aims to boost the cooperation between European and Indian
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and startups in the clean and
green technologies sector.
The latest initiative took place under
the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) announced by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the
European Commission, at their meeting in New Delhi in April 2022.
“The
match-making event is a step ahead to unlock innovative possibilities
leading to a green and circular economy. We encourage innovators from
the EU to seize this opportunity and explore potential collaborations
with their Indian counterparts,” said Marc Lemaitre, Director-General
for Research and Innovation at the European Commission.
As part of
the initiative, 12 startups -- six each from India and the EU -- will
be selected and get a pitching opportunity during the ‘Matchmaking
Event’, scheduled in June.
Six finalists (three from the EU and
three from India) will be selected following their presentations and
awarded the possibility to visit India and the EU, respectively.
“We
are dedicated to fostering a collaborative environment where
sustainability and innovation form the cornerstone of a flourishing
circular economy,” said Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific
Adviser to the government.
The deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the startups is April 30.
The
TTC will help boost EU-India bilateral trade, which is at historical
highs, with 120 billion euros worth of goods traded in 2022.
In 2022, 17 billion euros worth of digital products and services were traded.
