An initiative to strengthen strategic, economic, cultural and technological relations between both countries
The Spain-India Dual Year 2026 is a joint initiative of the governments of both countries aimed at strengthening their strategic, economic, cultural, and technological relations. This event coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Spain and India and reflects the harmony and bond of friendship that unites India and Spain.
This Dual Year, in addition to strengthening bilateral relations, will prioritize cooperation in the areas of Culture, Tourism, and Artificial Intelligence.
This is the Spain-India relationship
Spain and India established diplomatic relations in 1956, and in 1958 Spain opened its resident embassy in New Delhi. Since then, the relationship between the two countries has steadily grown, especially after the visit of the King and Queen of Spain to India in 2012, which provided a significant boost, particularly to bilateral economic relations.
In 2016, both countries celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with a wide-ranging program of events: music and dance, theater, exhibitions, conferences, film screenings, and other activities. The announcement of this anniversary, made by the foreign ministers of both countries, was considered “an excellent opportunity to continue deepening and expanding the bilateral partnership (…) so as to enrich bilateral cooperation and promote closer ties between civil societies.”
This boost to bilateral relations was followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Spain in May 2017. This was the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Spain since 1992. During his stay in Madrid, Narendra Modi held separate meetings with King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, with whom he signed a Joint Communiqué that already hinted at the idea of holding a "Year of Spain in India" in 2020. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions thwarted this initiative, but the idea of carrying out a major bilateral project would eventually bear fruit.
In October 2024, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez paid an official visit to India. During his meeting with Narendra Modi, they agreed to celebrate the Spain-India Dual Year in 2026, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
What the Dual Year Will Be Like
Unlike previous anniversaries, this Dual Year will have a very specific three-pronged focus: Culture, Tourism, and Artificial Intelligence. These sectors reflect the priorities of both countries.
The Joint Declaration of both leaders emphasized that both countries “will make every effort to promote each other’s cultural presence in their museums, art fairs, film festivals, literary events, architects’ conferences, and discussion and thought circles.”
Furthermore, “special attention will be paid to ways to increase tourism flows, promote reciprocal investments, and share experiences in areas such as hospitality, architecture, cuisine, and marketing, in both urban and rural tourism.”
Finally, they committed to organizing “events to encourage the positive use of AI and will work toward the practical implementation of new advances in the field of AI in the productive economy.”
Recently, the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Spain appointed Elías Bendodo and Carme Artigas as Honorary Commissioners for Tourism and Artificial Intelligence, respectively. These appointments are part of the Dual Year and will serve to prepare activities that facilitate “the creation of talent bridges, the promotion of AI projects with social and environmental impact, and the consolidation of business opportunities,” as Carme Artigas pointed out.
With all this, 2026 will represent a new milestone in the relationship between Spain and India, thanks to an agenda of events that will be announced gradually and in which the Spain-India Council Foundation will play a significant role.
For our part, the Board of Trustees of the Spain-India Council Foundation has prepared a comprehensive Action Plan for 2026 in which the Spain-India Dual Year will play a prominent role, along with other regular high-level activities, such as the Leaders Program and the Spain-India Report.
