New Delhi: – India will welcome two of the EU’s most senior leaders later this month for a landmark State Visit coinciding with the 77th Republic Day celebrations. President of the European Council António Luís Santos da Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit New Delhi from January 25 to 27 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The two dignitaries will attend the Republic Day parade as chief guests, marking a rare joint appearance by the EU’s top institutional heads at India’s annual national ceremony.
During the three-day visit, the leaders will meet President Droupadi Murmu and engage in both restricted and delegation-level discussions with Modi, according to an External Affairs Ministry release. The high-level dialogue will be accompanied by an India-EU Business Forum planned on the margins of the official engagements, bringing together business leaders and policymakers.
The visit will culminate in the 16th India-EU Summit on January 27, co-chaired by Modi, Costa, and von der Leyen. The Summit is expected to review progress in the partnership and set priorities across political, economic, technological, and security cooperation.
India and the EU have maintained a Strategic Partnership since 2004. The 15th Summit, held virtually in July 2020, set the tone for renewed engagement. Ties have since expanded significantly, including momentum generated by the visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February 2025.
The participation of both EU leaders as Republic Day Chief Guests, coupled with the back-to-back Summit and business dialogue, is projected to further elevate political trust, drive economic cooperation, and reinforce shared priorities across emerging and traditional sectors of collaboration.
