India signals duty cuts on wine, auto; EU keen on investment protection

Among EU nations, the Netherlands has historically been the fourth biggest source of foreign direct investments (FDI) for India, pegged at $29 billion since 2000

Despite India’s willingness to slash tariffs on wines and automobiles from the European Union (EU), the bloc remains firm that its concerns on investment protection will need to be addressed in any future bilateral deal.
 
After deciding not to join the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), New Delhi has reached out to the EU to restart stalled talks on the Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA). But EU trade policymakers are in no mood to discuss the pact until India starts discussion on investment protection, a key concern for European firms in India, a senior EU diplomat said.