Keynote Speaker: Nilanjan Ghosh, Vice President of ORF Kolkata and Development Studies
In his address, he analysed the opportunities for collaboration opening up between Spain and India in the context of the current global situation, in which India has taken on a significant role in the new world order | View Executive Summary in PDF
After the authorities’ speeches at the inauguration of the 5th Spain-India Forum, Nilanjan Ghosh, Vice President of ORF Kolkata and Development Studies, delivered an address in which he analysed the opportunities for collaboration opening up between Spain and India in the current global context. This context has led India to assume a prominent role in the new world order, moving from the periphery to becoming a center of gravity thanks to its economic and demographic growth. Europe, and Spain in particular, emerge in this scenario as vital partners for India, united by the shared goal of building a model of sustainable, inclusive and future-ready growth.
"Western economies are facing labor shortages in critical sectors such as technology, healthcare, and renewable energy," stated Nilanjan Ghosh. “This is where complementarity emerges: an economy with abundant labor like India’s and a Europe with a labor shortage can complement each other (...) In 2024 alone, more than 150,000 Indian professionals and students moved to the European Union, to EU countries. Many of them are now part of Spain’s innovation economy: at the Mobility Lab in Valencia, in Madrid’s data centers, and in Barcelona’s digital ecosystem.”
Regarding bilateral trade, the ORF Vice President noted that it exceeded €8.5 billion, representing a 35% increase in three years. “Spanish companies Indra, Acciona, and Navantia are contributing to the construction of India’s metro, renewable energy networks, and maritime infrastructure. Meanwhile, Indian IT companies and startups are setting up shop in Spanish innovation hubs, from Valencia’s Smart Mobility Lab to Barcelona’s 22@ district. Furthermore, our research ties are strengthening.”
The Spain-India collaboration extends to research: "The CDTI-TDB Program funds joint R&D in AI, medical technology, and biotechnology. We also collaborate with the University of Salamanca and Sai University, which are training the next generation of international researchers." Nilanjan Ghosh pointed out that the Spanish fintech ecosystem can partner with India's digital infrastructure. He also highlighted the energy transition, with joint projects in renewable energy and green hydrogen, such as those being developed by the Indian companies ReNew and NTPC Green Energy in Andalusia and Aragon.
In the urban sphere, he continued, collaboration between cities like Delhi and Madrid is being revitalized, focusing on green mobility and digital governance. "While Spain looks east and India west, we find ourselves halfway across a bridge built on trust, ideas, and innovation. (...) May this Forum be more than a dialogue: may it be a design space where we imagine new innovation ecosystems, new mobility frameworks, and new paths to equitable growth. May it inaugurate not only a year of collaboration between Spain and India in 2026, but a new era. (...) Together we can build a collaborative model that serves as an example to the world," he concluded.
