ECA joined the German Indian Innovation Summit 2026 and the invite-only NASSCOM-GIIC roundtable in Berlin. The key question now is simple: where can this create real value for our members?
From ecosystem dialogue to concrete opportunities
ECA recently joined the German Indian Innovation Summit 2026 in Berlin, at the invitation of the German Indian Innovation Corridor (GIIC).
ECA was represented by President Michel Sérié and Supervisory Board members Emmanuelle Morice and Georgios Kotsougianis.
The Summit brought together leaders from technology, industry, investment, academia and government. For ECA, however, the most interesting question was not simply how Europe and India can “cooperate more”.
It was much more practical:
Where can European technology companies create business, find partners and access the Indian market and where can Indian technology companies do the same in Europe?
That is where the discussions became particularly relevant for ECA and its members.
A focused discussion with NASSCOM and GIIC
A key highlight was ECA’s participation in the invite-only NASSCOM Business Roundtable with GIIC, held during the Summit as part of the partnership between NASSCOM and GIIC.
The roundtable brought together European business leaders, C-level executives from India’s technology ecosystem and Indian companies already exploring opportunities in Germany and Europe.
The discussion focused on topics directly relevant to many companies in our network:
- AI for the German Mittelstand
- AI and the future of the workforce
- Market access between Europe and India
- Opportunities for European startups and scale-ups in India
What made the discussion particularly valuable was its practical focus.
The questions quickly moved beyond general statements about cooperation:
How can AI solutions developed in India become relevant for European industrial companies?
What do Indian technology companies need to establish themselves in Germany and Europe?
Where can European startups and scale-ups find customers, technology partners and talent in India?
And perhaps most importantly:
What role can networks such as ECA play in making these connections more effective?
The opportunity runs in both directions
For ECA, one message stood out clearly:
Europe-India technology cooperation should not be viewed as a one-way market-entry story. It is a two-way technology bridge.
European companies can benefit from India’s technology capabilities, engineering talent, growing market and industrial ecosystem.
Indian technology companies, in turn, can benefit from access to European customers, industrial partners, ecosystems and market knowledge.
The opportunity is clear. The challenge is turning it into specific company-to-company opportunities.
That is where ECA can play a role: connecting companies and ecosystems where there is a genuine fit.
What we took away from the Summit
Several discussions during the Summit reinforced this practical approach.
DEG CEO @Roland Siller highlighted the importance of financing not only investment into India, but also joint German-Indian innovation.
The discussion around the IIT ecosystem highlighted access to talent, mentorship and deep-tech research pipelines.
The @BioLabs / @LabCentral example showed how shared infrastructure, proximity to corporates and early access to startups can help shorten the path from technology to commercial application.
None of these elements is new on its own. What matters is how they are increasingly being connected to create practical opportunities between European and Indian companies.
What happens next matters more than the Summit
For ECA, the most interesting part starts now.
If you are an ECA member or part of our wider network and India is already on your agenda, tell us what you are actually looking for:
-customers
-market access
-technology partners
-industrial partners
-AI collaboration
-introductions
Likewise, if you are working with an Indian technology company looking towards Germany or Europe, we would like to hear from you.
If there is a concrete fit in the network, ECA can help move the conversation forward.
A big thank you to Upen Barve and the entire GIIC team for the invitation and excellent organization, and to NASSCOM and GIIC for creating a format that brought the right people into the room.
We look forward to taking the next steps together.
