President of the European Fee Ursula von der Leyen is being obtained by Prime Minister Narendra Modi throughout the nationwide flag hoisting at Kartavya Path on the event of the 77th Republic Day celebrations, in New Delhi on January 26, 2026.
| Picture Credit score: ANI
A “profitable India” is on the planet’s curiosity, stated visiting European Union leaders, as officers in New Delhi confirmed that negotiations for the EU-India Free Commerce Settlement (FTA) have been concluded.
“Official stage negotiations are being concluded and each side are all set to announce the profitable conclusion of FTA talks on January 27,” Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal instructed reporters on Monday (January 26, 2026).
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Individually, sources within the Commerce Ministry stated that negotiations have been concluded on Friday (January 23, 2026) and the deal was authorised by each side on Saturday (January 24, 2026). They added that the ultimate textual content can be readied as soon as it was “scrubbed” by the authorized groups of each side.
The deal is a part of quite a lot of different agreements, together with a Safety and Defence Partnership, power cooperation and a mobility settlement anticipated to be signed throughout the EU-India summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, EU Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa on Tuesday (January 27, 2026).
The presence of the EU’s high management “underscores the rising power of the India-European Union partnership and our dedication to shared values”, stated Mr. Modi in a publish outlooking the agreements.
On Monday (January 26, 2026), all of the leaders attended the Republic Day parade, by which EU defence commanders took half for the primary time, and EU Presidents have been hosted at Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Droupadi Murmu. “A profitable India makes the world extra steady, affluent and safe,” Ms. von der Leyen stated in a publish, including that the world’s largest democracies Europe and India are dedicated to shaping “a brand new world order”.
The leaders witnessed the parade the place India’s navy {hardware} and marching contingents, notably these concerned in Operation Sindoor in Might 2025 in opposition to Pakistan, have been showcased. Considerably, a lot of the {hardware} that Ms. von der Leyen and Mr. Costa witnessed within the parade was Russian-made or designed and has been sanctioned underneath numerous EU sanction packages since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“A possibility to recall the significance of the motion of the EU Naval Forces to reinforce maritime safety and shield the liberty of navigation, particularly within the Indo Pacific,” Mr. Costa stated on social media, steering away from any contentious references to the warfare in Europe.
Additionally Learn | India and EU are exhibiting a fractured world one other option to have interaction: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen
The EU-India FTA conclusion marks the top of a two-decades-old course of, after talks have been first launched in 2007. The talks have faltered on quite a lot of events, notably over seemingly irreconcilable points like market entry for “delicate” European agricultural and dairy gadgets, environmental rules, funding and immigration. After a freeze on talks between 2014 and 2022, the talks have been relaunched with extra pragmatic targets, and each side have reportedly agreed to put aside sectors the place they failed to search out widespread floor. As soon as the FTA is introduced on Tuesday, officers will full the authorized scrubbing, and it will likely be despatched to all 27 EU states after being translated, earlier than it’s ratified by the European Parliament.
With bilateral commerce already crossing $136 billion, the sources additionally stated that this might be “one of many largest” bilateral offers on the planet. Not like ASEAN nations, the EU acts as a single customs bloc, they defined. The EU has FTAs with eight nations and has signed an FTA with the South American bloc MERCOSUR earlier this month. Each India and the EU are additionally anticipated to improve their strategic partnership, first concluded in 2004, and improve defence cooperation and navy engagement in areas together with maritime safety, cyber safety and counter-terrorism.
Revealed – January 26, 2026 08:37 pm IST
