Overview
- European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be Republic Day chief guests and will co-chair the India–EU summit in New Delhi on January 27.
- Negotiators report that 20 of 24 chapters are closed and are working daily to finish remaining items, with a possible announcement on January 27 contingent on resolving outstanding issues.
- Key sticking points include the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, now in effect for energy‑intensive sectors, along with differences over access in steel and automobiles.
- Government officials say ‘sensitive’ agricultural items, including dairy, are being kept out of the agreement to navigate domestic concerns on both sides.
- Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has called the prospective pact the ‘mother of all deals,’ highlighting expected export gains for India as US tariffs push both sides to diversify trade ties.