On the first visit of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to Portugal earlier last month, the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, was handed his OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card, reinforcing the relationship that the two countries share.

The two countries signed 11 agreements aimed at the development of trade & science and technology involving the Portugal-India Business Hub (PIB Hub), the Agency for Investment and Foreign trade of Portugal (AICEP), the University of Minho, the Iberico International laboratory of Nanotechnology of Braga and Foundation for Science and Technology and the IIT Ahmedabad, IIT Roorkee and IIT Madras

The PIB Hub and The Indian Chamber of Commerce also signed a MoU “to promote the economic exchange in the area of Trade to India, Portugal and Indian Diaspora market, in a bilateral and multilateral perspective. The principal focus will be in area such as “renewable energies (solar and wind), construction, infrastructure (roads, ports, airports), defence (‘Drones’, robotics, cargo planes), food processing and logistics, tourism, hotel and real estate”.

In other memorandums, the Foundation of Science and Technology and the Indian Institute of Technology of Ahmedabad, Roorkee and Madras will collaborate on areas of knowledge, including engineering, proper sciences, science of life, social science and Humanities. The International Iberico laboratory of Nanotechnology and the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advance Scientific Research of Bangalore also signed an agreement to “facilitate the scientific- technological exchange and the strengthening of scientific and technological capabilities of the parties in the area of materials and nanotechnology”, while in another memorandum signed today, The University of Minho, the 3B’s Research Group and the National Centre for Biological Sciences of Bangalore converged in launching a joint platform for scientific translational and scientific cooperation, such as bioengineering and regenerative medicine”.