India and the European Union want closer ties between their startups. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said so on September 1, 2026.
She raised the idea with EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis in Asheville, United States. The two met on the sidelines of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting. The United States hosts the G20 this year.
The two sides want more work together in fintech and AI. Linking up Indian and European startups was a stated goal. That came from a post by India’s Ministry of Finance.
This sits under a bigger deal. India and the EU signed a Free Trade Agreement earlier this year. That pact opens 144 services subsectors. It also covers AI, chips and clean tech.
Sitharaman and Dombrovskis also took stock of the FTA and the Investment Protection Agreement. Both said they would take the talks forward.
The meeting went beyond startups. The two spoke about the India-EU macro dialogue and the Trade and Technology Council. They also weighed supply chains and critical raw materials.
Sitharaman made one point sharply. India must not just buy critical minerals, she said. It must also refine and add value at home.
Dombrovskis is the European Commission’s Commissioner for Economy and Financial Affairs. He leads the India-EU economic tie-up on the EU side.
For Indian founders, this points to a warmer path into Europe. The startup channel is new. The FTA is the frame around it.
What this means for you: If you run a fintech, AI or D2C startup with Europe on your map, watch the Trade and Technology Council for the actual programmes that follow this signal.
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