FTA deal between India and EU to be sealed soon! A big meeting to be held in Delhi this week 

India-EU relations:  Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks between India and the European Union (EU) are likely to take place in New Delhi this week. This time the focus will be on complex issues like non-tariff barriers, market access and public procurement. Both sides are moving ahead with the aim of concluding the talks by the end of the year. According to the information, there will be several rounds of meetings in New Delhi and Brussels in the coming months. The strategic agenda and other key points will be finalized in these meetings. They will be inaugurated at the India-EU Summit to be hosted by India in the first quarter of 2026.

Start of the 13th round

The 13th round of talks will begin on September 8. Immediately after this, EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Agriculture Commissioner Christoph Hansen will visit India. Their aim is to provide political momentum to the talks, so that they do not get bogged down in technical complications. Experts believe that the importance of the India-EU agreement has increased in such a situation, as US tariff policies have increased volatility in global trade.

What has happened so far?

Sources said that out of 23 chapters, 11 have been agreed upon. These include issues like intellectual property, digital trade, customs, trade facilitation, transparency, SMEs, sustainable food systems and dispute settlement. The chapter related to movement of capital is also close to finalisation.

Next round of likes

The 13th and 14th talks, to be held in Brussels from 8 October, will focus on technical barriers, market access, sanitary and phytosanitary, public procurement and rules of origin. Progress has also been made on services and investment. Both sides are moving towards a final agreement on technical points related to the digital trade chapter.

Priorities for India and the European Union

India has made it clear that rice, sugar and dairy products will remain out of the deal. At the same time, the European Union wants market access in areas like automobiles and spirits. At the same time, the European Union is ready to cooperate on aquatic products in the wake of the US raising tariffs on shrimp exports.

High-level political contacts

On September 4, a phone conversation took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Council President Antonio Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which emphasized finalizing the FTA by the end of the year. In addition, on September 17, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kailas will unveil a new strategic agenda for India.

Security and technology cooperation

Along with trade, strategic and security cooperation is also on the agenda. Counter-terrorism cooperation will be discussed in Brussels. Besides, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will participate in the Indo-Pacific Forum and the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting in November. The TTC is a major platform for cooperation in areas like AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, security and defence.