New Delhi: India and the European Union are poised for a landmark reset in their relationship as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen begins a four-day visit to New Delhi ahead of the 16th India-EU Summit next week. The visit is expected to culminate in the announcement of a long-pending free trade agreement, alongside new frameworks on defence cooperation and mobility of skilled Indian professionals.
European Council President Antonio Costa will arrive in the national capital on Sunday, with both EU leaders set to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26 as chief guests. The summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled for January 27, at a time of heightened global uncertainty driven by shifting economic and security policies in the United States.
Union Minister Jitin Prasada received von der Leyen on her arrival on Saturday. Welcoming her, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on ‘X’ that the visit would “chart the next phase of the India-EU Strategic partnership,” underscoring the shared democratic values and growing convergence between the two sides.
The centrepiece of the summit is expected to be the conclusion of the long-negotiated India-EU free trade agreement. Negotiations, which began in 2007 and were revived in 2022, are now at their final stage. The deal is likely to open European markets further for Indian electronics, textiles and chemicals, while reducing tariffs on European automobiles, wines and spirits.
Both sides are also expected to firm up a strategic defence partnership pact and unveil a structured framework for the mobility of Indian professionals—areas seen as critical for deepening long-term engagement beyond trade.
The timing of the summit reflects a broader geopolitical recalibration. With traditional transatlantic certainties under strain, Brussels is accelerating efforts to diversify economic partnerships and reduce strategic dependencies. For India, closer integration with the 27-nation bloc aligns with its ambition to emerge as a central node in reconfigured global supply chains.
Trade has already surged in recent years. The European Union is India’s largest trading partner in goods, with bilateral trade in FY 2024–25 touching about $136 billion. India exported goods worth roughly $76 billion to the EU, while imports stood at around $60 billion.
If finalised, the free trade pact would mark one of the most consequential economic agreements for both sides in decades, anchoring a partnership that now extends from commerce and technology to defence, mobility and global governance.
