India and EU to Sign Landmark Free Trade Agreement on 27 January

India and the European Union are nearing the conclusion of a long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA), with negotiations expected to wrap up later this month, according to India’s Trade Secretary Rajesh Agrawal. If finalized, the deal would become India’s largest trade agreement, as New Delhi looks to diversify export markets amid ongoing U.S. tariff pressures and slower progress in trade talks with Washington.

Negotiations on the India-EU trade pact have continued for several years and are widely viewed as a strategic opportunity for both sides to strengthen economic cooperation while reducing reliance on China and Russia. The European Union is already India’s biggest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching €120 billion ($140 billion) in 2024, underlining the scale and importance of the relationship.

The long-negotiated FTA is expected to be signed on 27 January during the 16th India-EU Summit, to be held in New Delhi. Senior EU leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonia Costa, are scheduled to visit India between 25 and 27 January to attend the summit and witness the agreement.