New Delhi: India and the European Union (EU) are accelerating efforts to complete approval procedures for their bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), targeting its signing on December 17 or 18 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Brussels, Belgium.
The proposed timeline coincides with Modi’s return from the G20 summit in Miami, the United States.
The European Commission (EC) has proposed expediting the agreement’s approval by the European Council to provide greater flexibility in responding to an increasingly volatile global geopolitical environment.
As part of the effort, the EC has proposed completing the legal procedures using the original English text rather than waiting for translations into all 24 official EU languages.
Indian Deputy Commerce Minister Rajesh Agrawal is expected to visit Brussels this week to address procedural matters, while Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is visiting Germany and the Netherlands from October 22 to 27 to advance trade discussions.
Goyal has expressed confidence that the agreement could be signed before the end of 2026 and become operational within four to five months, urging businesses on both sides to prepare to capitalise on emerging opportunities.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, led by its president, David McAllister, is scheduled to visit New Delhi from October 26 to 28.
India and the EU announced the conclusion of negotiations on their bilateral FTA on January 27, 2026, during a summit in New Delhi. Both sides described the agreement as a landmark deal with the potential to create one of the world’s largest free-trade areas, covering approximately a quarter of the global population and gross domestic product.
Beyond the FTA, the two sides are also pursuing an Investment Protection Agreement and a Geographical Indications Agreement to strengthen economic cooperation.
The EU is among India’s leading trading partners, ranking ninth in goods trade and sixth in services. Bilateral merchandise trade was projected to reach €118 billion in 2025, while trade in services was estimated at €67 billion.
ndia’s major exports to the EU include machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles, metals and petroleum products. EU exports to India are dominated by industrial goods, including machinery, transport equipment and chemicals.