Securing the Final Frontier: Collaborative Pathways for India and Europe in Space Governance and Security

This policy brief argues that India and Europe must elevate their space cooperation into a structured partnership. Converging interests in connectivity, human spaceflight, security, and governance create opportunities for joint projects and norm-setting. Challenges of trust, regulation, and geopolitical alignments remain, requiring institutionalized dialogue and integrated economic, political, and diplomatic frameworks.
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This policy brief explores pathways for India and Europe to elevate their long-standing but underutilized space cooperation into a structured partnership. It argues that converging political, economic, and security interests ranging from human spaceflight and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor to resilient satellite communications and space situational awareness make collaboration both urgent and strategic. Opportunities include joint applications for connectivity, astronaut training, interoperable navigation systems, and shared disaster-response capabilities. At the governance level, India’s Global South credibility and Europe’s regulatory influence can jointly shape global norms on debris mitigation, traffic management, and responsible behavior in orbit. However, challenges remain: India’s multi-alignment with Russia, EU regulatory frictions, and trust deficits must be managed. The brief recommends institutionalizing an India-EU Space Dialogue, aligning investment and procurement frameworks, and embedding space in broader strategic, trade, and diplomatic agendas to secure the global commons.

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