Deal aims to boost trade diversification, labour-intensive exports and services while safeguarding sensitivities on both sides
Ahead of the 16th India-EU Summit, the Union Cabinet has approved some proposed agreements, including on security, defence and mobility
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India and the European Union are close to a fruitful conclusion of free trade agreement talks, with the outcome expected to be announced
As global order frays and the US turns inward, India's Republic Day optics underline a strategic pivot towards Europe and faster reforms at home
India's textile and apparel industry expects the India-EU trade deal to boost exports, help Tiruppur overtake Bangladesh in Europe and revive growth after tariff-led losses
India plans a sharp cut in car import tariffs for EU automakers, signalling its biggest market opening yet as New Delhi and Brussels near a landmark free trade pact
The India-EU free trade agreement, to be announced on January 27, is likely to lower costs and expand trade rather than threaten the domestic industry, think tank GTRI said on Sunday. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that as global trade is increasingly shaped by tariffs, geopolitics and supply-chain realignment, the India-EU economic relationship stands out for its clarity of purpose. The two are not rivals but partners operating on "different rungs of the value chain", it added. India exports labour-intensive, downstream and processing-based goods, while the European Union supplies capital goods, advanced technology and industrial inputs. "This structural complementarity explains why an India-EU free trade agreement is likely to lower costs and expand trade rather than threaten domestic industry," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said. In FY2025, India-EU goods trade exceeded USD 136 billion, and tariff cuts would primarily reduce input costs, deepen value-chain ...
ACEA urges full tariff removal on auto parts, cautions against licences and residual duties as India and EU eye announcing deal at January 27 summit
India should press the European Union (EU) to clear the "dense web" of non-tariff barriers for domestic products, especially in the agri and pharma sectors, under the proposed free trade agreement, as such restrictions often "blunt" the benefits of tariff reductions, think tank GTRI said on Monday. The conclusion of the India-EU free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations is expected to be announced on January 27 during the visit of the EU team here. The pact is nearing the finishing line after 18 years. The talks started in 2007. The President of the European Council, Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will be on a state visit to India from January 25-27. They are chief guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations. The barriers faced by Indian products in the EU include regulatory delays in pharmaceutical approvals, stringent sanitary and phytosanitary (related to plants and animals) rules affecting food and agricultural ..
Announce 27 outcomes, including 19 agreements, across sectors - from defence to semiconductors and supply chain
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
Goyal will visit Brussels on Jan 8-9 to hold high-level talks with EU officials, as India and the European Union seek to resolve key differences and fast-track their long-pending free trade agreement
With new, important areas of bilateral cooperation coming up, there is scope for raising the ambition of India-Netherlands relationship, and whether it is semiconductors, digital, cyberspace or life sciences, "we would like to work more closely with you", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday. In his opening remarks before holding talks with his Dutch counterpart David van Weel here, the EAM also said, "We also count on your support as we are moving to what I hope is a decisive phase in our negotiations with the European Union on the Free Trade Agreement." The minister of foreign affairs of the Netherlands visited India from December 17-19 at the invitation of the external affairs minister, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The MEA in a statement said the Indian side looked forward to welcoming Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof for the AI Impact Summit in February 2026 in New Delhi. The Dutch side reiterated the invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi fo
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held talks with European Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Sefcovic in New Delhi ahead of a new round of India-EU trade negotiations.In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "A pleasure to meet European Trade & Economic Security Commissioner @MarosSefcovic in New Delhi today. Confident that the Commissioner and his team will have productive discussions in India."Officials earlier confirmed to ANI that negotiating teams from India and the European Union will hold a two-day round of discussions on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), beginning Monday and continuing through Tuesday.The meeting marks another step in efforts to deepen India-EU economic ties. FTA negotiations between the two sides were revived in June 2022 after a long pause.EU Ambassador to India Herve Delphin while addressing India's World Annual Conclave 2025 last week, said the current phase of discussions represents a complete shift in approach, describing
Automakers told the Heavy Industries Ministry that high investment thresholds, tough localisation rules, and pending India-EU FTA talks are deterring participation in the EV promotion scheme
During week-long India-EU FTA negotiations, New Delhi pressed for predictable implementation of the EU's carbon tax and proposed steel regulation to ensure balanced trade terms
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
India and the European Union have agreed to continue discussions on issues pertaining to steel, auto, and carbon tax, as these areas carry higher sensitivities, under the proposed free trade agreement, the commerce ministry said on Wednesday. India has also pitched for ensuring redressal of both tariff and non-tariff barriers in the pact, besides creating transparent and predictable regulatory frameworks to boost bilateral trade, it said. These issues came up for discussions during the three-day visit of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to Brussels. He met EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic and gave an impetus to the ongoing negotiations. The minister's official visit concluded on October 28. "They also agreed that issues related to steel, auto, CBAM (carbon border adjustment mechanism), and other EU regulations still require further discussion, as these issues have higher sensitivities," the ministry said. The EU has announced regulations su
Disagreements relate to market access for goods and also investment, trade, and sustainable development
Zettlemeyer says India should embrace trade, private investment, and reforms for faster growth, while navigating US protectionism and climate finance challenges