Bilateral exchanges with India: Advancing digital cooperation in strategic areas

In the framework of the Indo-German Digital Dialogue, State Secretary Schnorr and a delegation of the Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) recently travelled to New Delhi to discuss digital policy areas of strategic interest and the future direction of the Digital Dialogue with cooperation from the Indian government. Since the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI) was signed in 2017, the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the German government have promoted stronger economic and technological cooperation in the field of information and communications technology (ICT).

Discussing cooperation areas of strategic interest with MeitY

During the first meeting on 9 April with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the focus of the discussion was on cooperation approaches such as semiconductors, Artificial Intelligence (AI), graphene technology and digital skills. These priorities were also echoed by State Secretary Schnorr during his keynote at the Global Tech Summit, where he underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation, open standards, and trustworthy digital ecosystems.

In his opening remarks, Secretary Krishnan of MeitY had already stressed geostrategic importance of technologies such as semiconductors and AI and value of international partnerships. State secretary Schnorr also highlighted the strategic importance Digital Dialogues have for Germany and expressed openness to new proposals for shaping a common Work Plan for 2025-2026. One area of cooperation could be in the R&D sector: India showed interest in gaining German cooperation partners to advance its research and development (R&D) capabilities in the field of semiconductors.  

Furthermore, there was a discourse on the digital security of users, networks, and domains , with emphasis on the importance of multilateral approaches. The Indian side called for stronger inclusion in multilateral platforms, and it was suggested that German ministries jointly fund specific research and innovation projects with India.

Both parties reaffirmed their intention to continue the partnership and strengthen it structurally within the framework of the Indo-German Digital Dialogue.

The German and Indian delegation discussing areas of interest and cooperation opportunities in New Delhi, India.

Towards a deepened cooperation in telecommunications technology

The delegation of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), together with representatives from the German Embassy and the Secretariat of the Digital Dialogue  came together with the Ministry of Communications and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to exchange their expertise regarding telecommunication technology.

The meeting on 11 April was shaped by ongoing efforts to establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with both sides recognising the value of the initiative and expressing support for deeper cooperation in the telecommunications sector.

In addition, Mr Schnorr and DoT representatives debated concrete areas of potential cooperation, such as spectrum management, 5G/6G rollout, cybersecurity and regulatory capacity building. The DoT expressed interest in Germany’s approach to spectrum auctioning and highlighted the rollout of 5G and 6G and the role of this technology in improving rural broadband access. These themes also resonated at the Global Tech Summit, where telecommunications and public digital infrastructure were central to several panel discussions.

State Secretary Schnorr once again stressed joint standardisation efforts and the strategic relevance of shared standards. Conclusively, both sides reaffirmed the importance of regular exchanges and close cooperation. A high-level follow-up is envisioned after the new German government is formed.