The Dual Year of Spain and India 2026 takes centre stage at the Board of Trustees meeting of the SICF

The Spain-India Council Foundation held a Board of Trustees meeting attended by senior representatives from both the public and private sectors, reflecting the growing importance of bilateral relations between Spain and India. The meeting was attended by Diego Martínez Belío, Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, whose presence underscored the Spanish Government’s commitment to the Spanish-Indian agenda. Also in attendance were Luis Fonseca, Director-General for North America, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Laura Jarillo Carrasco, Deputy Director-General for Europe, Asia and Oceania at the Secretariat of State for Trade; and Jordi Colgan, Director-General for Economic Diplomacy, together with representatives of the companies and institutions that are members of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

The Secretary of State highlighted that the meeting took place at a particularly favourable moment for Spain-India relations, emphasising the qualitative leap the bilateral relationship has experienced in recent years. Martínez Belío underlined the strength of the dialogue between the two countries and announced that Secretary West is expected to visit Spain in June, with the aim of continuing to deliver tangible results and consolidating an institutional momentum that will strengthen bilateral ties over the long term. He also noted that the current international geopolitical context presents a window of opportunity for Spain and Europe to position themselves as key partners for India, alongside the ongoing negotiations on the European Union–India Free Trade Agreement.

The meeting also marked the beginning of a new phase of reflection and strategic planning for the Foundation, coinciding with the start of a new institutional cycle and the strengthening of its organisational structure.

A Year of Intense Activity and Looking Ahead to the Rest of 2026

The Foundation’s Secretary-General, María Victoria González Román, presented a comprehensive overview of activities, highlighting the dynamism of the institution over the past year. Among the key milestones was the approval of the Government’s Asia-Pacific Strategy, which recognises India as a priority partner and explicitly acknowledges the role of the Council Foundations.

The meeting also reviewed initiatives such as the presentation of Document 5 of the Spain-India 2025 Report on cooperation in science, technology and innovation; participation in a European Council on Foreign Relations event on the role of Spain and the European Union in the Indo-Pacific; a range of seminars and academic events held within the framework of the Dual Year; and the consolidation of the Dual Year website hosted by the Foundation as the main digital reference point for the initiative.

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2026, the Foundation’s agenda includes the Spain-India Forum in Bangalore, the Indian Leaders Programme scheduled for November, a seminar at the Elcano Royal Institute, and support for the 4th Congress on Artificial Intelligence in Agrifood Systems in Córdoba, among other activities.

Contributions from Board members enriched the discussion with a variety of sectoral perspectives. Jaime Montalvo, representing the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, announced the organisation of a Hispanic-Indian Chambers Summit in New Delhi next October. Laura Jarillo Carrasco highlighted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s two visits to India in less than eighteen months as evidence of a consolidated shift in the bilateral relationship, as well as the fast-track mechanism signed in 2024 to facilitate interaction between Spanish companies and the Indian administration. Jordi Colgan proposed strengthening the Foundation’s role in raising awareness of the strategic potential of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, while representatives from Casa Asia, Casa de la India, and the city councils of Madrid and Barcelona presented various institutional and cultural cooperation initiatives.

New Trustees and Institutional Strengthening

The meeting also formalised the appointment of three new members to the Board of Trustees: Óskar Goitia, President of Mondragón International, who brings extensive experience in Asia and in several Council Foundations; Carlos de la Cruz, Director of Technology and Internationalisation at the Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI), replacing Luis González Souto following his retirement; and Isabel Prieto, Director of Corporate Communication and Institutional Relations at Abertis, whose appointment broadens the diversity of institutional profiles represented within the Foundation.

The Board also approved the annual accounts, which show a modest increase in revenue and a financial position that will allow for greater operational capacity in support of activities planned within the framework of the Dual Year. Members were also updated on the ongoing process of statutory review aimed at modernising and adapting the governance of the Spain-India Council Foundation to the needs of this new phase.

During the meeting, a proposal for academic collaboration with UDIMA – the Distance University of Madrid – was also presented. The initiative is linked to the teaching of Spanish in India and focuses on new technological tools and accessible digital learning models, in line with the growing interest in the Spanish language across the country.

The session concluded by highlighting the excellent state of Spain-India relations and the increasingly important role of the Spain-India Council Foundation as a platform for dialogue, institutional cooperation, and business, academic and cultural engagement between the two countries.

List of attendees