One of the main tasks of Project SESEI is to increase the cooperation between Indian and European standardization bodies and to facilitate EU/EFTA-India cooperation in standardization matters, as well as to support Regulatory Dialogue.

The Indo-European Conference on Standards & Emerging Technologies is a platform established by the the SESEI Project and this is the 4th edition of this conference providing an effective forum to bring together high-level representatives, technical experts from the EU/EFTA community and the respective Indian stakeholders for sharing and learning from each other, further strengthening the ongoing dialogue in the realm of Policy, standardization around topics of emerging technologies covering Digitization, Green & Clean Energy etc.

Conference Name: 4th Indo-European Conference on Standards & Emerging Technologies
Proposed Date: Thursday, 7th December 2023
Venue: Hotel Lalit, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi 110001

Objective of the Conference:

Project SESEI on behalf of its Project Partners is organizing a one-day conference with speakers from both EU/EFTA and INDIA with focused discussion on three main topics, which are very relevant for both the Indian and the European context as well as being the priority areas of the Project SESEI.

- Circular Economy (e-Waste, Plastics)
- Connectivity in Smart Cities (Digital, Energy & Transport)
- Data Privacy & Cyber Security

The Conference will provide opportunity to:

- Share the latest work and ongoing activities around Policy and Standards as being carried out in Europe and India around these conference topics.
- Create opportunities to standards stakeholders for interaction.
- Indulge in a dialogue and deliberations among standardization community and identify the areas of synergies, gaps & challenges which can be bridged, and the roadmap for working together.

During the conference, a study report focused on these three topics will be presented and released. The study report will cover latest developments, current state of play covering Standards development & Policy Initiatives in EU/EFTA and INDIA, the gaps and technological challenges in India limiting the market potential, adoption of technologies and the areas of further collaboration between EU and India. Proposed Agenda / Program flow:

We propose to hold a full day seminar with program flow as below:

- Opening plenary session in the first half of morning with the dignitaries and high ranking ministerial, DGs, and Senior level speakers from India and EU/EFTA
o Release and Presentation of Study Reports

- Followed by three parallel sessions post lunch on:
o Circular Economy (e-Waste, Plastics)
o Connectivity in Smart Cities (Digital, Energy & Transport)
o Data Privacy & Cyber Security

And followed by:
- Conclusion and summarization of the day’s deliberations/recommendations, way forward in the evening

Background Note

India remains the fastest-growing economy in the world. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that India to remain the fastest-growing major economy in the world despite global headwinds.

The rapid growth of the Indian economy, its size and emerging relevance in global trade, makes it essential to establish a robust ‘Quality Infrastructure & Ecosystem’ in India with a dynamic, and mature policies and standards framework. India has taken various initiatives in the recent past to strengthen its trade, quality infrastructure and standards such as Indian National Strategyfor Standardisation (INSS), Standards National Action Plan (SNAP 2022), update of its BIS ACT, Rules and Conformity Assessment regulation etc.

India is undergoing a twin transition towards digital and green as it aims to tackle the challenges of sustainable development with technological advancements. The country is making significant strides towards both goals, which are interlinked in many ways.

India is a leader in Information Technology (IT) Services for decades, and rapidly growing its tech industry while driving innovation and growth. Transformation of 100 cities in the country to Smart Cities by intensive use of information and communication technology (ICT) was a mammoth project earlier initiated by the Govt. The role of digital technology is critical in this transformation, as it provides the best possible solution to monitor the wide array of aspects of city living and amenities, connecting every citizen to policymaking and administration.

On the Green front, India has been putting a renewed focus on reducing the country’s overall carbon footprint and meeting its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commitments as made during the Paris agreement.

Indian Parliament has also passed “DIGITAL PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION BILL” and the Bill will apply to the processing of digital personal data within India where such data is collected online, or collected offline and is digitised. It will also apply to such processing outside India if it is for offering goods or services in India.

EU/EFTA and India Strategic Partnership and Role of Standards & Emerging Technologies

In 2022, the EU and India marked the 60th anniversary of their bilateral relationship, making it one of the longest-existing relations between the European Union (EU) and an Asian country. The EU-India relations are based on a multi-dimensional agenda, ranging from socio-economic issues, effective multilateralism, and rules-based order up to security cooperation.

India and the EU already have an established framework for clean energy and climate partnership that was signed in 2016. The “EU-India Connectivity Partnership” was signed on 8 May 2021 to increase cooperation on connectivity initiatives. The areas of cooperation identified within the framework of the partnership are digital, transport, energy, and people-to-people connectivity. The mandate of the cooperation was expanded under the Roadmap to 2025 and in the joint statement released after the 16th India-EU Summit in 2021 to include sectors like digital connectivity, renewable energy, circular economy, and energy efficiency.

The EU and India have further strengthened their relationship as a strategic partner by setting up a its Trade and Technology Council (TTC). The areas identified under the TTC follow from the areas of cooperation identified under the 2025 roadmap covering digital, climate and energy partnership along with working on Market Access & Trade. It also aims to promote innovation and help both partners achieve the SDGs. This new TTC will deepen strategic engagement on trade and technology between both partners through cooperation in digital governance, green and clean energy technologies, resilient value chains, trade, and investment.

Standards are integral to Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance, Digital Connectivity, Green & Clean Energy Technologies. The sharing of knowledge and best practices as well as identifying the gap areas will expedite and provide necessary momentum to the cooperation between EU/EFTA and India on new and emerging technologies and help create synergies for better cooperation and support.

About Project SESEI

Introduction to Project SESEI: The SESEI (Seconded European Standardization Expert in India) is a project co-funded by five European partners, operating from New Delhi, India, with the objective to increase the visibility of Global/European standardization in India and to promote EU/EFTA-India cooperation on standards and related activities.

Project Partners: The SESEI Project (http://sesei.eu/) is managed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI - http://www.etsi.org - EU recognized Standards Organization for Telecommunication sectors) and is further supported by two other EU recognized Standards Organization, namely the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) – http://www.cencenelec.eu- which develop and adopt European standards in a wide range of products, services and processes, as well as by the European Commission (www.ec.europa.eu) and the European Free Trade Association (http://www.efta.int/).

Contact:
Mr. Dinesh Chand Sharma, Director, Standards & Public Policy
+91 9810079461
Dinesh.chand.sharma@sesei.eu