The final Board Meeting of the Spain-India Council Foundation in 2025 took place at the ACCIONA Campus, where the members of the Council Foundation were welcomed by its President, Juan Ignacio Entrecanales. The meeting also featured the participation of the new Ambassador of India to Spain, Shri Jayant N. Khobragade, in his first meeting with the Board following his appointment as Ambassador.
The meeting highlighted the excellent moment in the bilateral relationship and India’s growing prominence—not only as a demographic and technological power, but also as an indispensable interlocutor in the reconfiguration of the global order. This was reflected in the opening remarks delivered by the President of the FCEI, by the Director General for North America, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Luis Fonseca, and by the Ambassador of India to Spain.
In their analysis of India’s current role, they agreed that the country has positioned itself as one of the central actors on the international stage—politically, strategically and economically. In this context, the relationship with Spain takes on particular importance: it is not just another bilateral partnership, but a strategic opportunity to connect economies, talent and innovation at a historic moment in which Europe is seeking reliable, dynamic and forward-looking partners.
Building on this encouraging foundation for our work, “the Council Foundation now has, more than ever, both the responsibility and the opportunity to help ensure that this relationship grows in depth, ambition and substance,” as stated by Juan Ignacio Entrecanales.
The Spain-India Dual Year will shape the activity of 2026
The Action Plan foreseen for 2026 responds to this need, with an extensive and ambitious programme of activities. It maintains the high level of initiatives carried out by the FCEI throughout the current year, which culminated in the recent 5th Spain-India Forum held in Barcelona. The review presented during the meeting on the second half of 2025 was described as excellent.
The year 2026 will be marked by the celebration of the Spain-India Dual Year, in which the Council Foundation will participate with dedicated activities of its own. At the same time, it will continue to plan other regular high-level initiatives, such as the Leaders Programme and the Spain-India Report.
The Ambassador of India to Spain congratulated the FCEI on all its initiatives, highlighting the quality of the 5th Spain-India Forum, the first Council Foundation event in which he has participated. Board members also welcomed the Action Plan. They contributed valuable perspectives from their different sectors to enrich the initial planning, and work has now begun in earnest on the various proposals.
Changes in the General Secretariat and new appointments
During the meeting, the Board also welcomed the new Secretary General of the Spain-India Council Foundation, diplomat Victoria González Román. With an extensive professional career, she will play a key role in coordinating the public-private cooperation that lies at the core of the Council Foundation.
Her role combines institutional vision, strong communication and liaison abilities, and an in-depth understanding of Spain’s external action. Her mission is to align the priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation with the interests and capacities of the Foundation’s member companies and entities, ensuring a smooth and constructive dialogue. She also guarantees the coherence of joint initiatives, promotes public and economic diplomacy projects, and works to ensure that the Foundation operates as a stable, effective and high-level platform for collaboration among government bodies, companies, universities and civil society.
The Board was also informed of the appointment of the Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo López Senovilla. This incorporation reflects the Secretariat of State’s desire to become more directly involved in the Foundation’s activities and to support our work more closely.
The new Director General for Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Jordi Colgan, also joined the Board.
List of Participants
ACCIONA ▪️ Juan Ignacio Entrecanales, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Spain–India Council Foundation
ACCIONA ▪️ José Eugenio Salarich, Director of International Relations
ACCIONA ▪️ Gabriela Sebastián de Erice, Director of External Relations
Spanish Chamber of Commerce ▪️ Jaime Montalvo, Director of International Affairs
Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) ▪️ Patricia Sánchez Pacheco, Head for India
CHAINCORP ▪️ Mohan Chainani, President
CHAINCORP ▪️ Alan D'Silva, Advisor
Embassy of India in Spain ▪️ Shri Jayant N. Khobragade, Ambassador
Spain–India Council Foundation ▪️ María Victoria González Román, Secretary-General
Spain–India Council Foundation ▪️ Berta Fuertes, Director
Spain–India Council Foundation ▪️ Vega Yubero, Deputy Director
Spain–India Council Foundation ▪️ Raffaella Ferreccio, Analyst
Spain–India Council Foundation ▪️ Verónica San Narciso, Director of Communications and Photographer
IE ▪️ Antonio Montes, Chief Relationship Officer – IE Business School, Financial Times Corporate Learning Alliances, and Vice-Chairman of the Spain–India Council Foundation
Indra ▪️ María Ángeles Espinosa, Director of Public Affairs and Institutional Relations
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation ▪️ Jordi Colgan Perera, Director-General for Economic Diplomacy
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation ▪️ Luis Fonseca, Director-General for North America, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific
Madrid City Council ▪️ Fernando de Pablo, Director-General of the Digital Office
Barcelona City Council ▪️ Bettina Stollar, Director of the Asia-Pacific Programme
CaixaBank ▪️ Alba Gregorio, International Relations
Casa Asia ▪️ José Pintor, Director
Instituto Cervantes ▪️ Luis Marina Bravo, Director of International Relations
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation ▪️ Ignacio de Felipe, Head of Service, Sub-Directorate-General for the Promotion of Spanish Worldwide
University of Salamanca ▪️ Pedro Álvarez Mosquera, Associate Professor
University of Valladolid ▪️ Paloma Castro, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation
Secretariat of State for Trade ▪️ Estrella Jiménez León, Deputy Assistant Director-General for Europe, Asia and Oceania
SEPIE – Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education ▪️ Mariola Sánchez, Technical Education Advisor
