In a policy brief titled Global Gateway: Advancing EU-India Priorities in the Indo-Pacific, published by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung New Delhi in July 2025, Riya Sinha and Prof. Dr. Giulia Tercovich explore how the European Union’s (EU) Global Gateway initiative can serve as a platform for strategic cooperation with India in the Indo-Pacific region. The paper positions the Global Gateway as a values-driven and sustainable alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with India seen as a pivotal partner because of its geographic location, economic clout, and regional influence.
The authors emphasise that although the EU and India may not be fully aligned, they share common goals in promoting transparent and rules-based connectivity across the Indo-Pacific. Both sides have already institutionalised their engagement through mechanisms such as the EU-India Strategic Partnership Roadmap (2020), the Connectivity Partnership (2021), and the Trade and Technology Council (2023). These frameworks provide opportunities to advance shared priorities, including digital infrastructure, green energy, transport corridors, and people-to-people linkages.
Authors also note that India’s own connectivity initiatives such as Act East, Neighbourhood First, and MAHASAGAR — focus on linking South Asia with Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean region. These efforts are strategically motivated to counter the BRI and are consistent with the Global Gateway’s objectives. India’s collaboration with countries like Japan and the UAE, along with its participation in multilateral groupings such as BIMSTEC and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, further supports the case for enhanced EU-India cooperation.
However, the paper highlights several challenges. The Global Gateway suffers from institutional fragmentation, inconsistent branding, and a cautious financial posture, which weakens its competitiveness in relation to China’s more centralised and rapid BRI implementation. On India’s part, limited bureaucratic capacity and the absence of a long-term operational structure have constrained the delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects, especially in politically sensitive areas like Myanmar.
Despite these hurdles, the authors identify multiple areas for meaningful collaboration. They propose setting up a joint project prioritisation mechanism that would draw on India’s regional expertise and the EU’s regulatory and financial strengths. Deeper cooperation in green energy, digital public infrastructure, and transport logistics is considered particularly promising. The report also recommends expanding the use of blended finance to mobilise private investment and scaling up co-financing under trilateral or multilateral initiatives.
Overall, the brief argues that the EU and India must pursue a more flexible and pragmatic approach that begins with deeper dialogue and mutual understanding. The Global Gateway must become more than a symbolic label; it should develop into a practical, strategic tool capable of delivering sustainable and high-impact connectivity projects in South Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific.