Published on: September 23, 2026
Minister Miquel Sàmper’s trip is focused on enhancing the existing €2.8 billion worth of trade between India and Catalonia, along with close corporate links.
Hon. Miquel Sàmper Rodríguez, Minister for Business and Labour, Government of Catalonia, is here in India to strengthen the ever-growing economic relationship between Catalonia and India and to promote new opportunities in the fields of artificial intelligence, DeepTech, healthcare, semiconductors, space technology, energy and advanced manufacturing.
Catalonia is one of Spain’s major economic drivers and a leading European centre for industry, technology and innovation with an economy worth €334.8 billion in 2025. Minister Samper’s visit, organised by the Catalan Ministry for Business and Labour and Catalonia Trade & Investment (CTI), the internationalisation and investment agency of ACCIÓ, shows Catalonia’s ongoing commitment to further strengthen its trade, investment and business relationships with India.
The visit comes at a time when the commercial relationship is steadily growing. In the last ten years, exports between Catalonia and India have more than doubled. Catalan exports to India amounted to €652 million in 2025. The relationship is also backed by a strong two-way corporate presence, with 166 companies from both India and Catalonia operating in both markets.
As part of its ongoing dedication to India, Catalonia Trade & Investment is opening a new office in New Delhi this year to complement its existing presence in Mumbai and its more than 30 years of activity in the country. The new office will strengthen institutional dialogue and offer more effective support to Indian companies, investors and institutions which are looking into opportunities in Catalonia, as well as to Catalan companies that wish to expand their operations in India.
Reflecting on the significance of this growing relationship and the goals of his visit, Minister Sàmper remarked:
“Catalonia and India already have strong and growing business ties, but I believe there is much more we can do together. This visit is an opportunity to build on that relationship and create more practical connections between our companies, startups, research institutions, and innovation ecosystems. Our cooperation with Nasscom is an important step in that direction, particularly in areas such as AI, DeepTech, semiconductors, HealthTech, EnergyTech and SpaceTech. We want to see these connections translate into new investments, partnerships, and opportunities for companies on both sides.”
Focusing on Next-Generation Sectors
While Minister Samper is in India, he will be holding talks with important government and industrial stakeholders, such as Mr Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the Minister of Industries, Food & Supplies and Environment, Forest & Wildlife (Government of NCT of Delhi) and with representatives of major industry associations including FICCI and NASSCOM. The discussions will concentrate on the possibilities for greater economic cooperation, trade and investment, especially in those sectors in which Catalonia and India have complementary strengths, such as AI, DeepTech, semiconductors, HealthTech, EnergyTech and SpaceTech.
Barcelona has emerged as an international technology hub; IBM’s Global Location Trends 2025 show that it ranks third in the world and first in the European Union for attracting foreign investment projects in artificial intelligence, with only London and Singapore ahead of it.
Another area with great potential is healthcare and the life sciences; Catalonia is at present the fourth region in the world and the leading one in Europe for attracting foreign technology investment projects related to digital health.
Emphasising the purpose and potential of his visit, Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Minister of Industries, Food & Supplies and Environment, Forest & Wildlife (Government of NCT of Delhi), stated:
“Delhi is emerging as a strong hub for industry, technology and innovation. We see good potential to strengthen our engagement with Catalonia and create new opportunities for investment, technology partnerships, and business collaboration. The visit of Minister Miquel Sàmper is a welcome opportunity to take this relationship forward.”
Adding the voice of the private sector, Kalyan Kumar, President, HCL Software, shared:
“Sovereignty isn’t about isolation, it’s about choice. Catalonia’s strength in cybersecurity talent, AI and DeepTech, and its place among Europe’s largest ICT hubs, reflects the shift we’re building for. Enterprises deciding where their software runs, where their data resides, and how their AI is governed, without external dependencies. Our IP-led engineering ‘F1 squad’ across experience, data and intelligent operations, alongside our team on the ground in Catalonia, exists to partner with local enterprises and service providers to co-create secure, sovereign, scalable digital solutions. We’re glad to host Minister Miquel Sàmper and the Catalonia delegation at HCLTech (HCLSoftware).”
Turning Business Interest into Investment Opportunities
The visit occurs at a time when new investment opportunities are emerging between Catalonia and India. The Barcelona-based technology company Submer has proposed an investment of 2 billion US dollars in Madhya Pradesh’s semiconductor ecosystem, which is expected to generate about 5,000 direct jobs. This shows the potential for Catalan technology and expertise to play an important role in India’s rapidly growing high-tech economy.
The Catalonia Trade & Investment–NASSCOM Letter of Intent (LOI) represents yet another potential turning point in their relationship. Its aim is to stimulate business, technology and investment connections, to link up companies, startups and research institutions, to promote collaboration in the areas of AI, DeepTech, semiconductors, HealthTech, EnergyTech and SpaceTech, and to help business delegations and innovation exchanges.
Adding to this collaborative outlook, Shivendra Singh, Vice President, Global Trade Development at NASSCOM, commented:
“Shivendra Singh, NASSCOM- Catalonia offers a strong gateway for Indian technology companies to deepen their presence in Spain and the wider European market. This collaboration will create greater opportunities for NASSCOM member companies to build partnerships, explore new markets and expand their business and investment footprint through Catalonia, particularly in AI and other strategic technology areas such as Health tech, Energy and Space technologies.”
Barcelona as a Gateway to Europe
The Minister’s visit also underlines Barcelona and Catalonia’s wider role as a global destination for technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and international business.
Through events such as Mobile World Congress and Catalonia’s thriving technology ecosystem and increasing expertise in AI, healthcare and DeepTech, Indian companies and investors are able to gain access to European markets and at the same time open the door for Catalan businesses to expand their operations in India.
Taking advantage of the existing relationship, the current visit of Minister Samper is opening up new possibilities regarding investment, innovation, technology partnerships and market access between the two regions.
About Catalonia Trade & Investment (ACCIO):
Catalonia Trade & Investment (ACCIÓ) is the public agency of the Government of Catalonia dedicated to supporting business growth, innovation, international expansion and investment. With a team of 500 professionals and close to 40 offices around the world, ACCIÓ supports Catalan companies in expanding internationally while helping foreign companies identify opportunities, invest and grow in Catalonia.
As a key point of contact for international investors, Catalonia Trade & Investment provides comprehensive, tailored and confidential support throughout the investment journey, from identifying opportunities and preparing investment proposals to facilitating the establishment of operations and providing ongoing aftercare. It also supports R&D projects, green and technological transformation, and the establishment of subsidiaries abroad. For more than 40 years, ACCIÓ has helped companies invest, innovate and grow in Catalonia and Spain, fostering long-term economic and business partnerships.
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