The Spain-India Council Foundation is a private non-profit organisation that seeks to increase mutual knowledge between the two countries. It encompasses all the efforts made by various sectors to enhance the scientific, technological, research, cultural and academic interests in India, and to promote economic, trade and business cooperation from a civil society platform.
The Spain-India Council Foundation lies within the broader framework provided by the Network of Council Foundations promoted and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. It seeks to expand and further develop bilateral relations with Spain’s main strategic partners and allies beyond the European Union, representing a valuable tool for foreign affairs policy.
The Spain-India Council Foundation is made up by representatives of the highest level from business, banking, culture, education and law, as well as officials from the Government of Spain, regional governments and local council authorities. The foundation is headed up by Antonio Escámez, President of the Banco Santander Foundation. Numerous entities sit on its board of trustees, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and made up by representatives from the main ministerial departments in charge of economic, cultural and educational affairs. This guarantees coherence with the interests of the various sectors represented. Our trustees are the highest level representatives of today’s modern, cutting-edge, competitive and technologically-advanced Spain.
Objectives and purposes
The Council Foundation’s mission is to encompass the efforts made by the various sectors of the Spanish economy under a civil society platform to support the interests, concerns and wishes of all activity concerning India.
The foundation was set up in 2009 to coincide with the historic State Visit by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil to Spain. Since then, it has developed numerous activities of its own and supported other government-designed initiatives, as well as official events in both India and Spain. Among other things, it has been involved in investment forums and business meetings, supported cultural, educational, artistic and fashion activities, and signed agreements with Indian private entities and official bodies.
This initiative is fully in line with India’s importance as one of the main world powers in the 21st Century. Furthermore, India is one of the countries considered as essential in the broader framework of priorities for Spanish foreign affairs policy with Asia and the Pacific.
Spain wishes to convert its positive political relations with India in all areas into a way to foster bilateral economic relations (the tourism, energy, sports, culture, law, universities and business schools, infrastructures sectors etc.), including the technology and science sectors, and increase awareness of the ‘Spain Brand’ in India.
The foundation also promotes initiatives, contacts and actions considered as priorities by the trustees who represent the broad spectrum of public and private activity, for which a coordinated and coherent focus is needed capable of combining efforts and bringing people together on common goals.
Constant and evident institutional support is fundamental to the Spain-India Council Foundation, which has been provided for every activity promoted to date. Ministers from various departments, state-secretaries, members of the Royal Household, ambassadors and other officials have supported and taken part in the development of actions proposed by the foundation, bringing incalculable added value to the results.
Contact
Plaza Marqués de Salamanca, 8
Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y de Cooperación
