Visit Overview
Minister Miquel Sàmper Rodríguez, Minister for Business and Labour of the Government of Catalonia, arrived in India to reinforce the growing economic relationship between Catalonia and India. The delegation, organised by the Catalan Ministry for Business and Labour and Catalonia Trade & Investment (CTI), aims to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, DeepTech, healthcare, semiconductors, space technology, energy and advanced manufacturing.
Trade and Investment Figures
The bilateral trade volume between Catalonia and India is currently valued at €2.8 billion. Catalan exports to India reached €652 million in 2025, and the two regions host 166 companies that operate across both markets. Catalonia’s economy is projected at €334.8 billion in 2025, positioning the region as a major European industrial and innovation hub.
Institutional Engagements
During the visit, Minister Samper met with Delhi’s Minister of Industries, Food & Supplies and Environment, Forest & Wildlife, Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and with senior representatives of industry bodies FICCI and NASSCOM. Discussions focused on leveraging complementary strengths in AI, DeepTech, semiconductors, HealthTech, EnergyTech and SpaceTech. Sirsa highlighted Delhi’s emergence as an industrial and innovation hub and welcomed deeper Catalonia‑India collaboration.
Sector Focus and Rankings
Barcelona is highlighted as a global technology hub; IBM’s Global Location Trends 2025 ranks it third worldwide and first in the EU for attracting foreign AI investment projects, behind only London and Singapore. In healthcare and life sciences, Catalonia is the fourth region globally and the leading European region for foreign digital‑health technology investment.
Private‑Sector Participation
Kalyan Kumar, President of HCL Software, emphasized Catalonia’s strength in cybersecurity talent, AI and DeepTech, noting the region’s role among Europe’s largest ICT hubs. He described HCL’s IP‑led engineering “F1 squad” and expressed readiness to partner with local enterprises to co‑create secure, sovereign digital solutions.
New Investment Proposals
Barcelona‑based technology firm Submer announced a US$2 billion investment plan for Madhya Pradesh’s semiconductor ecosystem, projected to generate approximately 5,000 direct jobs. Additionally, Catalonia Trade & Investment and NASSCOM signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to stimulate business, technology and investment connections, linking companies, startups and research institutions across AI, DeepTech, semiconductors, HealthTech, EnergyTech and SpaceTech.
Expansion of Catalonia’s Presence in India
CTI will open a new office in New Delhi in 2026, complementing its long‑standing Mumbai office and over 30 years of activity in India. The New Delhi office will enhance institutional dialogue and provide tailored support to Indian investors interested in Catalonia and to Catalan firms seeking to expand in India.
Strategic Outlook
The delegation’s activities underscore Catalonia’s ambition to use Barcelona as a gateway to European markets for Indian firms, while offering Catalan companies a platform to scale operations in India. The combined efforts of government, industry bodies and private firms aim to translate the existing €2.8 billion trade relationship into deeper investments, partnerships and market‑access opportunities across the identified next‑generation sectors.