The Spain-India Dual Year 2026 is progressing with a program that combines culture, tourism, innovation, and institutional cooperation. Exhibitions, literary festivals, business meetings, and audiovisual projects are all part of an agenda that seeks to strengthen the relationship between the two countries
Coinciding with the midpoint of the Spain-India Dual Year 2026, Berta Fuertes, director of the Spain-India Council Foundation, and Vega Yubero, deputy director, appeared on RNE's Marca España program to explain the event, its implications for the relationship between Spain and India, and its numerous activities, both those already completed and those planned for the second half of the year.
The Spain-India Dual Year is producing a packed agenda of activities ranging from culture and tourism to artificial intelligence and economic cooperation. The program, promoted by institutions from both countries, aims to strengthen mutual understanding and open new avenues for collaboration. India is one of the most important players on the international stage and occupies a prominent place in the Spanish government's Asia-Pacific Strategy 2026-2029. This strategy identifies India as a priority market for Spanish companies.
Focusing on Tourism, Culture, and Artificial Intelligence, the Spain-India Dual Year 2026 aims to strengthen ties between the two countries in a sustainable manner and prepare for bilateral cooperation in the coming years.
Among the most prominent cultural highlights is the Jaipur Literature Festival in Valladolid, one of the world's most important literary events, which this year features a special program dedicated to Indian and Spanish creative works. Also taking place is Flamenco Mumbai, a project that fuses Indian and flamenco music and seeks to explore the historical links between the two traditions.
The agenda also includes Picasso exhibitions in New Delhi, Spanish film series in Delhi and Mumbai, and conferences on architecture and gender at the Madrid College of Architects. In parallel, Hindi courses and activities promoted by Casa de la India, Casa Asia, and other cultural institutions will continue.
In the economic and technological sphere, one of the central events will be the International Congress on Artificial Intelligence Applied to the Agri-food Chain (SEMBRAI 2026), to be held in Córdoba with India as the guest country of honor. The meeting will bring together speakers, companies, and startups from both countries to explore solutions in agricultural innovation, sustainability, and digitalization of the sector.
In November, the sixth Spain-India Forum of the Spain-India Council Foundation will take place in Bangalore. Government representatives, companies, and experts will meet to analyze opportunities in sectors such as infrastructure, renewable energy, technology, health, and mobility.
With a young population—65% of Indians are under 25—and an expanding middle class, India is emerging as a strategic partner for Spain in the coming decades. The Dual Year aims to consolidate this path, break down stereotypes, and foster a deeper mutual understanding between two countries that, despite the distance, share more affinities than they might seem.
Listen to the "Marca España" program on Radio Exterior
