India, Luxembourg explore deeper cooperation in space, AI, quantum technologies. Details here

According to an official statement issued by the Indian government, the proposed mechanism could explore cooperation in areas including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, advanced materials and life sciences. It could also help both sides prepare specific inputs ahead of Luxembourg’s proposed State Visit to India in January 2027.

The bilateral meeting reviewed the current status of India-Luxembourg cooperation in space, future developments in the sector, opportunities for greater institutional and commercial collaboration, and preparations for the proposed State Visit.

The Luxembourg delegation included senior officials from the minister’s cabinet, economic policy, industry, new technologies and research, along with representatives of the Luxembourg Space Agency. The Indian delegation included senior officials from the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Space and Ministry of External Affairs.

Dr Jitendra Singh said the warmth and strong foundation of India-Luxembourg relations provide a favourable basis for expanding cooperation into newer and deeper areas.

He also referred to the virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Luxembourg counterpart in 2020, and highlighted the considerable common ground between the two countries in science, technology and innovation.

Singh said the strengths of both sides could be brought together in emerging areas with significant potential for mutual benefit.

Space cooperation

Space remains an important pillar of the bilateral partnership. India and Luxembourg signed a memorandum of understanding in February 2022 on cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

The partnership has also acquired a commercial dimension, including communication satellite transponder leasing and the commercial launch of two Luxembourg satellites onboard India’s PSLV.

IN-SPACe and the Luxembourg Space Agency have also been engaging to promote greater interaction between the two countries’ space ecosystems.

Singh outlined India’s broader space roadmap, including the near-term importance of navigation and communication satellites and the country’s long-term ambition of establishing an Indian space station by 2035 and undertaking a human landing on the Moon by 2040.

He said the expanding participation of the private sector in India’s space programme was creating new possibilities for international and commercial partnerships.

The two sides discussed opportunities for greater engagement between Luxembourg’s space industry and India’s rapidly expanding private space ecosystem.

Potential areas identified by the Indian side include Earth observation imagery, communication transponders, commercial satellite and satellite-subsystem development, launch vehicle services, ground stations and mission support.

Luxembourg-based companies, including SES, are already engaging with Indian entities and IN-SPACe on opportunities involving satellite capacity, user terminals, and satellite and ground subsystems.

AI and quantum technologies

Artificial intelligence and high-performance computing also emerged as key areas of potential cooperation.

Singh spoke about India’s efforts to expand computing capacity, procure additional GPUs and develop indigenous large language models suited to the country’s linguistic diversity.

The Luxembourg side shared its plans for a new AI-focused high-performance computing facility and expressed interest in facilitating greater interaction with the private sector. The two sides discussed the possibility of connecting Indian and Luxembourg companies and institutions in this field.

Quantum technologies were another area identified for deeper collaboration. Singh highlighted India’s National Quantum Mission and progress in quantum communication, computing and sensing.

He said quantum technologies have applications across sectors, including healthcare, security and space, and noted that optical communication linked with the space sector could offer a particularly promising area for cooperation between India and Luxembourg.

Life sciences and biotechnology

In life sciences and biotechnology, Singh highlighted India’s BioE3 policy and the country’s focus on biotechnology-led economic and scientific development.

He pointed to potential collaboration with Luxembourg institutions such as the Luxembourg Institute of Health and the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, particularly in areas of mutual interest including neurodegenerative diseases and Alzheimer’s disease.

The minister also highlighted India’s growing public-private approach to vaccine development and medical research, as well as the recent opening up of nuclear medicine research to the private sector.

He said these developments could create further opportunities for international institutions and industry to participate in areas of global health importance.

Delles, meanwhile, spoke about Luxembourg’s growing engagement with India in space, satellite communications, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and high-performance computing, as well as opportunities for Luxembourg companies to expand their activities in India.

He also stressed the importance of greater interaction between the government institutions and private-sector ecosystems of the two countries.

The meeting discussed the proposed State Visit by Luxembourg to India in January 2027, which both sides viewed as an opportunity to provide fresh momentum to bilateral cooperation.

Singh suggested that the Indian Embassy remain engaged with relevant Indian institutions so that areas of mutual interest can be identified in advance and specific proposals developed for consideration during the visit.

The meeting highlighted the expanding scope of India-Luxembourg cooperation, moving beyond the established space partnership towards wider collaboration in AI, quantum technologies, life sciences, advanced technologies and commercial opportunities.