India-EU Ties

Goyal said there would be no compromise on the country's interests and that all sensitive issues, such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and dairy, would be addressed to India's satisfaction

The free trade agreement between India and the 27-nation bloc EU will be the "mother of all deals", Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. He also said that the proposed agreement will be a good and mutually beneficial trade pact. "This will be the mother of all deals," Goyal told reporters here. He also said that the bilateral trade between the two sides is reasonably balanced in goods and services. It will also be a "super deal" for Indian export sectors, he added. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrwal on Thursday said India and the EU are "very close" to concluding negotiations on the proposed free trade agreement (FTA). He said the discussions are underway to resolve remaining issues so that the deal is ready for announcement during the visit of top EU leadership later this month. The government has finalised seven trade agreements since 2014.

India is pushing hard to conclude the EU trade deal to diversify export markets as pressure builds elsewhere, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said after Modi-Merz talks

With the world order looking wobbly, the European Union is eyeing to forge a broad global agenda in partnership with India and the two sides are set to firm up a free trade pact, a defence framework agreement and a strategic agenda at their annual summit on January 27. Top diplomatic sources told PTI that the free trade agreement to be sealed at the summit in New Delhi will be a "living document" on which work could be continued to iron out any issues that remain unresolved. "India and the EU can set the agenda for global governance, along with France, in the absence of the US," a senior EU official said. "India is one of the big players that we work with and can rely on." The proposed India-EU free trade agreement is expected to bring the relationship between the two sides much closer, with its positive impact being expected in a range of other sectors as well, at a time the world is witnessing trade disruptions in view of Washington's tariff policy. It is learnt that the two side

India and the five-nation grouping Eurasian Economic Commission have reviewed the roadmap for their proposed free trade agreement in goods with an aim to boost economic ties between the two, according to an official statement on Sunday. On August 20 this year, India and the Eurasian Economic Union bloc inked terms of reference to start formal negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has visited Moscow last week to hold talks with Minister in charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission Andrey Slepnev and Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Mikhail Yurin. "In the meeting with Minister Slepnev, the Commerce Secretary reviewed the next steps for the India-EAEU FTA in goods. The Terms of Reference signed on 20 August 2025 outline an 18-month work plan aimed at diversifying markets for Indian businesses, including MSMEs, farmers and fishermen," the commerce ministry said on Sunday. The five members of the Eurasian Economic Unio

Negotiators of India and the EU on Monday commenced talks to resolve outstanding issues in the proposed free trade agreement, as the deadline to conclude the talks nears, the commerce ministry said. A team of negotiators from the European Union (EU) is here from November 3-7 for negotiations with Indian counterparts on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Deliberations during the week will focus on core areas, including trade in goods, trade in services, rules of origin amongst others, along with technical and institutional matters. "The engagements aim to resolve key outstanding issues and advance the agreement toward a balanced and equitable framework that benefits both sides," the ministry said in a statement. This visit follows Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal's official visit to Brussels (27-28 October, 2025), where he held forward-looking discussions with Maros Sefcovic, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security. "These consultations reaff

All the 27 member nations of the European Union have unanimously backed the block's new strategic agenda with India that seeks to significantly ramp up two-way ties in several key sectors such as defence, trade and technology. The new document was released by the European Commission and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Kaja Kallas last month. The European Council comprising representatives of all the EU member nations unanimously supported it on Monday, according to EU officials. The new strategic agenda is expected to be adopted at the India-EU summit that is expected to be held in New Delhi early next year. The new strategic agenda identifies five areas of shared interest that include security and defence, connectivity and global issues, prosperity, sustainability, technology and innovation. Beyond the bilateral dimension, the new strategic agenda highlights EU-India joint engagement on global issues and with third partners, reflecting India's .

The EU is India's largest trading partner for goods, with two-way trade of $137.5 billion in the fiscal year to March 2024, for an increase of nearly 90 per cent over the past decade

The European Union seeks concessions from India, tolerating ties with Russia and oil export; now India must reciprocate, avoiding unnecessary moves that would further strain EU's trust

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday conveyed to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi Greece's support for the early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-EU free trade agreement. The issue figured during a phone conversation between the two prime ministers. Modi and Mitsotakis also took stock of bilateral ties between India and Greece, especially in areas of trade, investment and defence. "Both leaders welcomed developments in bilateral relations across sectors such as trade, investment, technology, shipping, defence, security, connectivity and people-to-people ties, and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the India-Greece strategic partnership," according to an Indian readout. It said Mitsotakis conveyed Greece's support for the early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-EU free trade agreement and for the success of the AI Impact Summit to be hosted by India in 2026. The call was initiated by the Greek leader. The 13th round of negotiations

The European Union on Wednesday unveiled a new strategic agenda to ramp up its engagement with New Delhi in several key sectors such as defence, trade and technology even as the 27-nation bloc's foreign and security policy chief Kaja Kallas said India's military exercises and its purchase of Russian oil "stand in the way of closer ties". The EU said its closer partnership with India is increasingly becoming vital in the wake of shifting geopolitical realities and that it is imperative for the two sides to strengthen economic growth and security. Hours after the 'New Strategic EU-India Agenda' was unveiled, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed their commitment to finalise the much-awaited India-EU free trade deal by the year-end. The top EU leader dialled Modi to greet him on his birthday. "Now is the time to double down on partnerships rooted in shared interests and guided by common values. With our new EU-?India strategy, w

The EU is India's biggest trading partner in goods, with bilateral trade hitting $137.5 billion in the 2023/24 fiscal year, up nearly 90% over the past decade

The European Union treats tariffs and sanctions differently and considers imposing such tariffs as a risky move, and supports targeting specific entities with sanctions

Russia dominates grouping with more than 92% share in India's trade

The EU is India's second-largest export market. India exported $70 billion worth of merchandise to the EU in 2023, out of which CBAM-covered commodities were worth $7.3 billion

50-tonne threshold seen as too low to ease burden; experts call for green transition or market diversification

The "Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet the basic needs of its citizens," said MEA

Finland's Ambassador to India, Kimmo Lhdevirta, expressed confidence on Monday about finalising a much-awaited trade deal between India and the European Union (EU) by year-end. The ambassador inaugurated the honorary consulate of Finland in Ahmedabad. Kulin Lalbhai, a prominent businessman from Gujarat and Vice Chairman of Arvind Ltd, has been appointed as the Honorary Consul of Finland. The Finnish ambassador termed as "historic" the visit of the European Union College of Commissioners to India in February, stressing for a solution agreeable to both parties. "It was a really historic visit, and I think it also created very good momentum for the negotiations to go ahead. I think both leaders on the European side and India are now committed to the goal of having an agreement by the end of this year," he told reporters. Admitting that a lot of work needs to be done, Lhdevirta emphasised there is a good chance to achieve this goal. "At the moment, I would say that the momentum and t

India and the European Union (EU) chief negotiators have concluded another round of talks on the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) here and agreed to reach a deal in two phases, according to an official. "The 11th round of talks concluded on May 16," the official said. The two sides have agreed to conclude the agreement in two phases on account of the uncertain global trade environment, particularly due to the US tariff actions under President Donald Trump. The talks focused on areas like market access offers in goods, services, and investment. India has followed the practice of negotiating trade pacts in two phases with Australia. It is following a similar approach to the US. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal last month stated, "If some of the issues which may not be very core to the trade, maybe taking some more time, then it is better to focus on core trade issues. So, we say that first things first...We are also discussing with the EU what can be the early harvest of the fir

He emphasised that the high-level visit connected key policymakers comprehensively, allowing both sides to advance their partnership