Overview
- European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will pay a state visit to India on January 25–27 and co-chair the 16th India–EU Summit on January 27.
- India’s commerce secretary says negotiations are in the last and most arduous phase, with 20 of 24 FTA chapters closed and daily engagement to resolve outstanding issues before leaders meet.
- Remaining hurdles include the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and sectoral concerns in steel and automobiles, while both sides have agreed to exclude sensitive agricultural items.
- Alongside trade, the sides are working to finalize a Security and Defence Partnership and a security of information agreement covering defence industry ties, maritime cooperation, cyber threats and undersea infrastructure.
- The EU leaders will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with an India–EU Business Forum planned as the bloc stands among India’s largest goods trading partners at $137.41 billion in 2023–24.