India and Austria: science, transport, health and energy

This article covers cooperation between India and Austria in science and technology, transport infrastructure, the environment and agriculture, health and traditional medicine, and energy. It is based on the MEA bilateral brief of April 2026.

Science and technology

According to the MEA brief of April 2026, an Agreement on Cooperation in the fields of Science and Technology, signed in November 2007, is in force between the two countries. An MoU on scientific cooperation between the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and the Austrian Science Fund was signed in October 2011.

Railways, roads and ports

Transport infrastructure accounts for several of the agreements in force:

MoU on Infrastructure Cooperation in the field of Railways, May 2002.
MoU on cooperation in the field of Railways between the Ministry of Railways of India and the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology of Austria, October 2011.
MoU on technology cooperation in the fields of Shipping and Ports, October 2012.
MoU on Technology Cooperation in Road Infrastructure Sector, December 2020.

Austrian Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology Ms. Doris Bures visited India from 1 to 4 October 2012. Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari visited Austria to take part in the INTERALPIN 2023 Fair in Innsbruck from 18 to 21 April 2023.

Environment and agriculture

An MoU between the Ministry of Environment and Forests, India, and the Federal Ministry of Environment, Youth and Family Affairs, Austria, was signed in January 1994. An MoU for cooperation in the field of Agriculture followed in September 2010.

Austrian Federal Minister for Environment, Forestry, Agriculture and Water Management Mr. Nikolaus Berlakovich visited India from 16 to 19 October 2012 to attend a meeting of the Conference of State Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Hyderabad.

Health and Ayurveda

An MoU for Infrastructure Cooperation in the Health Sector was signed in February 2005. An MoU on cooperation between the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, and the Medical University of Graz was signed in September 2018. The place of Ayurveda and yoga in Austria is described in the culture article of this guide.

Energy

Vienna is the setting for several energy-related visits by Indian ministers recorded in the brief. These were for meetings connected with OPEC and an energy forum; the brief does not mention meetings with Austrian ministers during them:

Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Hardeep Singh Puri visited Vienna from 8 to 10 July 2025 for the 9th OPEC International Seminar. He held bilateral meetings with the Secretary General of OPEC and with Ministers from Nigeria, UAE and Kuwait.
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, as Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs, visited Vienna for the India-OPEC dialogue on 8 and 9 November 2023 and met Mr. Haitham Al-Ghais, Secretary General, OPEC.
Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, visited Vienna in May 2017 for the Vienna Energy Forum.
Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendhra Pradhan visited Vienna in May 2017 for the second India-OPEC dialogue, led the Indian delegation to the 7th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna on 19 and 20 June 2018, and attended the 6th OPEC seminar in June 2015.

Two initiatives with a technology focus, the India-Austria Startup Bridge and the TU Austria (TCSITAT) initiative with Indian universities, are described in the trade and culture articles. Agreements on social security, migration and mobility, working holidays and air services are described in the practical guide in this series, as they concern travel and residence.

For most of the sectoral agreements above, the brief gives only the title and the month and year of signature.

Questions and answers

Do India and Austria have a science and technology agreement?

Yes. According to the MEA brief of April 2026, an Agreement on Cooperation in the fields of Science and Technology, signed in November 2007, is in force. An MoU between India's Department of Science and Technology and the Austrian Science Fund followed in October 2011.

What transport agreements have India and Austria signed?

The agreements in force include MoUs on railways (May 2002 and October 2011), on technology cooperation in shipping and ports (October 2012) and on technology cooperation in the road infrastructure sector (December 2020).

Is there an India-Austria agreement on Ayurveda?

Yes. An MoU on cooperation between the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, and the Medical University of Graz was signed in September 2018.

Sources

This article reports what the sources state at their date and does not add facts from elsewhere. Figures, office holders and agreements may have changed since. Diplo is independent and not affiliated with any government. Suggest a correction.