GraySpace participated in DefSat 2026 in New Delhi, where, together with SIA-India, it co-organised a panel on “EU-India Defence and Space Industrial Cooperation: From Strategic Alignment to Industrial Collaboration.” Devanshu Ganatra, Partner, at GraySpace, moderated the discussion, which brought together leaders from across the defence and space ecosystem in India and Europe to examine how growing political momentum can be translated into practical industrial cooperation.
The timing of the discussion was significant. EU-India engagement in defence, space, and strategic technology is clearly deepening. But as the panel highlighted, the real challenge is no longer whether cooperation is desirable. It is how to structure that cooperation in ways that are commercially viable, regulatorily workable, and industrially scalable.
One of the strongest themes to emerge was that cross-border collaboration depends less on broad intent alone and more on practical frameworks. Companies need clarity on market access, industrial structuring, trusted supply chains, export controls, regulatory alignment, and long-term partnership models. Without those foundations, strategic alignment remains difficult to operationalise.
The discussion also reinforced that the opportunity set is expanding as both India and Europe strengthen their defence and space industrial ecosystems. This is especially visible in areas such as dual-use technologies, advanced manufacturing, space-enabled capabilities, satellite systems, and resilient supply chains. These are precisely the sectors where cooperation can begin to take practical shape before moving into deeper industrial and strategic engagement.
A further takeaway was the importance of continued dialogue between industry and policymakers. As both ecosystems evolve, industrial cooperation will depend not only on investment and technology, but also on the ability to build frameworks that allow companies to work together with confidence over the long term.
The discussion underscored a central point: momentum now exists, but its long-term value will depend on whether it can be translated into practical industrial collaboration.