New Delhi, January 27 (.) The European union and India are expected to announce the conclusion of negotiations for a comprehensive free-trade agreement at the 16th EU-India summit taking place in New Delhi on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations between the two strategic partners.
European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in New Delhi over the weekend to attend both the summit and India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations on Monday, where they will serve as guests of honour. This marks the first time EU leadership has been accorded this distinction at India’s Republic Day parade.
António Costa, and Ursula von der Leyen will represent the EU at the 16th EU-India summit in New Delhi. PM Modi will host the summit.
“India is a crucial partner for the EU. Together, we share the capacity and responsibility to protect the rules-based international order,” Costa said.
Costa said, “The summit will offer an opportunity to build on the EU-India strategic partnership and further strengthen collaboration across key policy areas such as trade, security and defence, the clean transition and people-to-people cooperation.”
The summit will take place against the backdrop of the “positive momentum in EU-India relations in recent years, and the sustained high‑level engagement across all domains.”
In October 2025, the Council of the EU endorsed the new strategic EU-India agenda and its objective of further developing EU-India ties.
Leaders will also address pressing regional and global matters, including the importance of maintaining an effective multilateral system, promoting a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, and the situation in the Middle East.
President Costa emphasized India’s crucial role as an EU partner, noting that together they share both the capacity and responsibility to protect the rules-based international order.
The high-level engagement reflects the deepening strategic partnership between the EU and India, two major democratic powers seeking to strengthen cooperation across multiple domains while navigating an increasingly complex global landscape. Both sides have expressed strong optimism about the outcomes of Tuesday’s summit and the future trajectory of their relationship.
The anticipated trade agreement, which has been characterized as the “mother of all trade deals,” would boost bilateral trade and investment ties between the EU and India. Negotiations for the free-trade pact originally began in 2007 before stalling, and were relaunched in 2022 after sustained diplomatic efforts from both sides.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal expressed optimism about reaching a fruitful outcome following his meeting with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič. The two officials have met in person ten times over the past year, reflecting the intensity and importance of the negotiations.
Šefčovič described the past year as likely his most frequent trade engagement, stating on social media that the two sides are nearing the conclusion of their FTA negotiations. The deal will be formally signed once the legal text undergoes final review and scrubbing.
Beyond trade, the summit agenda encompasses several critical areas of cooperation. Leaders are expected to adopt a joint comprehensive strategic agenda focusing on four key pillars: prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence, and connectivity and global issues.
A significant development expected at the summit is the formalization of an EU-India security and defence partnership. This framework will address maritime security, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism cooperation, areas of growing importance given regional security challenges.
The two sides are also set to establish a comprehensive mobility framework designed to facilitate movement of students, seasonal workers, researchers, and highly skilled professionals between India and the EU. Additionally, a Security of Information Agreement is expected to be concluded, enabling enhanced intelligence and information sharing.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who met with Costa and von der Leyen on Sunday evening, expressed confidence that their discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi would herald a new chapter in EU-India relations.
The summit takes place amid positive momentum in bilateral ties, building on the Council of the EU’s endorsement in October 2025 of a new strategic EU-India agenda aimed at further developing cooperation between the two partners.
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