The need for Indo-EU cooperation to expand security in a new multilateral, geo-political situation

India is one of the world’s largest economies, in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity. The country is the fastest-growing large economy, with annual GDP growth rates of around 7%, and on its way to reaching the $7.8 trillion economy mark by 2030. 

It is an important player in global economic governance. In 2017, the EU was India’s first trading partner, while India was the EU’s 10th largest trading partner. For India & Europe countries, there will be even greater opportunities if all 27 countries join in India free trade to contribute sustainable development. 

The EU is going through a great geopolitical turmoil with few large rogue Economies, with other smaller equally negative policies that are threatening the integrity and sovereignty of the EU and some of the sensitive countries in it. There are large-scale purchases of land and companies and threats to bordering countries and these are expected to escalate with time as per experts and there is a need to bring in, an equally big country with the capability to smoothen the delicate situation is the need of the hour.

Here, India comes as the best candidate with its population, technology prowess, and manpower skill including multilingual capabilities, its space and nuclear leadership with its long-standing good relationship on a country to country and people to people basis. India has an outstanding record in its integrity and its contribution in human relationships, especially in the EU, is highly commendable, in short, it has always been on the right side of history. India is also respected being a 10,000 year old and more, civilization and has contributed to the global economy in all spheres. 

 The strategic geopolitical position of Europe and India

The EU’s effort to develop bilateral relations with India is motivated by economic, political and strategic concerns. Given worldwide waves of economic nationalism, the EU is also stressing “European strategic autonomy” and economic sovereignty, emphasizing the necessity of mitigating external dependency, especially its dependency on China. India is increasingly viewed by Europeans as an alternative for Europe to diversify its external supply chains and to extend European exports and business. 

To gain an advantageous position in current international strategic competitions for cutting-edge technologies and emerging industries, now carrying forward a new industrial strategy and working to build Europe’s own digital platforms, regards India as a potential partner for Europe’s digital transformation, considering the highly developed Indian software industry.

Using the doctrine of secured governance there could be long-term, self-sustained, techno/economic growth that certainty would be mutually beneficial for all stakeholders. 

The importance of Indo-EU collaboration in security

• The impact of the pandemic might lead to destabilisation of states that were already weak and fragile, to begin with, and thereby require more peacekeeping deployments; the India-EU partnership can play an important role in the current pandemic;
• Consequently, peacekeeping fell behind other security areas, such as maritime security or non-proliferation, where regular security dialogues are already in place;
• An important player in security and counterterrorism;
• Training cooperation thus necessarily would have to involve military-to-military interaction between India and the EU;
• India and EU nations are strongly committed to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda initiated by the UN in 2000; both have been actively involved in trainings of third countries;
• India’s cooperation in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects would undoubtedly bolster the EU-India strategic partnership. 
• EU and India have agreed to strengthen cooperation and work towards tangibles outcomes on shared objectives such as counter-piracy, counterterrorism – including counter-radicalization and cybersecurity,
• By joining hands with India, the EU can lead to further strengthening and maintaining economic stability as well as security throughout Europe, as well as enabling the EU to expand its industries and technologies into greater global markets, which places the EU on a stronger platform and less reliant upon it’s more aggressive non-EU trade partners it currently trades with.
• The long term security and economic stability of the EU can only be truly achieved when it is allied economically and in its security with nations that hold the same ethos, and India does hold that same ethos, far greater than any other non-EU nations, and this must be recognized by the EU and India, and acted upon.

Global technological advances in security, surveillance

In the first quarter of 2021, nations and security experts avidly look forward to the latest technology trends in the security industry. Recent developments have shown that 2021 technology trends will depend significantly on the advancements in intelligent video surveillance, analytics, and cloud storage. Trend predictions from certain manufacturers also indicate this.

Trend 1: AI video analytics leveraging deep learning to business intelligence;

Trend 2: Beyond “edge” to increase speed and efficiency;

Trend 3: Zero or low-contact solutions as Pandemic fear continues;

Trend 4: Cloud technology as IoT makes more inroads;

Trend 5: Cybersecurity a primary concern for video surveillance;

Trend 6: More acceptance for video surveillance along with privacy laws.

Current technology trends indicate 2021 will see even more extensive use of artificial intelligence in video surveillance. AI video analytics is already helping businesses in security and beyond. With COVID-19, the use of contactless technology has also become more popular.

As the world recovers from the economic crisis, there will be an increased interest in solutions that can save costs and improve efficiency. Intelligent video surveillance technology with analytics and cloud storage is the solution to these needs. Meanwhile, CCTV cybersecurity will continue to remain a significant concern, and vendors would give greater importance to hardening measures.

Use of latest technologies in securing the EU along with Indian enterprises

Last December, in “The Top 20 Security Predictions for 2020,” reported about the new decade: “Common prediction themes across enterprises include vendors and service providers in both developed and developing nations, more targeted ransomware, more ways to attack the cloud, and an explosion of problems with deep fake technology.

Cybersecurity threats are almost always cross-border, and a cyber-attack on the critical facilities of one country can affect the global countries. The EU has strong governmental bodies that supervise cybersecurity in their country, especially in sectors that are critical for our societies, and to work together with their counterparts in the European Union by sharing information. 

While many emerging technologies are still in the conceptual stage, the following are some that could realistically be considered over the coming year for India and EU enterprises.

• 5G Networking for the Enterprises;
• IoT Overcomes Obstacles of Enterprises;
• Data Analytics Gets to Work;
• Artificial Intelligence Drives Automation;
• Automation in the IT Shop;
• Unified Security Posture;
• Plug-and-Play Deployments Emerge;
• Edge Computing.

It is necessary to tackle traditional challenges of enterprises security and maintaining freedom of Trade and business environment for both India and the EU. As a way forward, both must focus on coordinating efforts to address software piracy, crime and terrorism through greater intelligence sharing and developing a common cybersecurity awareness.

Setting up development and manufacturing units in an Indo-EU biz corridor

Defense and security HUBs (defense and security manufacturing units) can be built with the aim of providing quality technology, equipment and support for India’s and the EU’s defense and civil security. The underlying idea is to develop a technology and knowledge base for its basic technical educational, technical, vocational, research and security needs.

Engagement: Establishing a new level of engagement with defense to deliver better outcomes for defense into the future.

Capability: Creating longer-term opportunities by developing new defense capabilities in areas aligned to both India and the EU’s industrial strengths and future Defence needs.

Research & Development: Leveraging India and the EU would be a world-leading research and development centers to support defense in future technology requirements for global countries.

Skills: Mobilizing both India and the EU will be the largest supply of defense-related workers and defense, educational and vocational sectors to meet defense skills for developing countries.

Industry: Increasing the competitiveness of Indo-EU defense industry to be better positioned to secure new defense-related opportunities.

Equally importantly, India is recognizing that while relations with national European governments are valuable, the EU also has much to offer. This, with smart secured governance, would ensure the creation of one of the largest single markets – $1 trillion in spending and investment – offering great opportunities for both trading partner. Each side has much to gain from deepening their association so that the full potential of EU-India relations can be explored, secured, tapped and realized.

Indian enterprises can be encouraged to expand in the EU with technologies available which will ensure that there is good employment opportunities and business growth in both the EU and India. India is considered a superpower in software and services sectors, which would complement the manufacturing sectors that could start with simple security systems to complex warships and submarines and take a joint leadership position for the world. This could boost some of the sagging economies and consolidate others that are in a prime position.

With this going forward, there would-be long-term stability in the region with the EU economy reincarnating to growth, and India, with its high young educated manpower, getting much-required employment. Most importantly, both sides would acquire much-needed getting stability, as well as robust techno-economic growth.