India and EU to deepen ties with flurry of high-level visits after landmark trade deal
PM Narendra Modi with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa. Photograph: (AFP)
India and the EU are targeting completion of a Security of Information Agreement by the end of this year, paving the way for secure sharing of classified data and enhanced defence and intelligence collaboration. This follows the Security and Defence Partnership agreed at the January summit.
New Delhi: India and the European Union are set to deepen their strategic partnership with a flurry of high-level engagements in the coming weeks, following the landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) sealed in January. The deal, described by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as the “mother of all deals,” created a vast free trade zone encompassing nearly two billion people and is poised to significantly boost bilateral trade, currently valued at around $136 billion annually.
Later this month, an 11-member delegation from the European Parliament, led by Angelika Niebler, Chair of the Delegation for Relations with India, will travel to India. The visit aims to strengthen parliamentary ties and build on the momentum from the January summit in New Delhi, where EU leaders joined India’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guests.
In May, senior officials from both sides are expected to hold consultations focused on Indo-Pacific issues, highlighting shared interests in maritime security, supply chain resilience, and regional stability amid ongoing global uncertainties.
The India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is slated to convene at the ministerial level in late June or early July, awaiting final confirmation from New Delhi. The meeting will advance cooperation on digital trade, emerging technologies such as AI and 6G, and green innovation, key pillars of the newly endorsed “Towards 2030: EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda.”
Further visits of EU commissioners covering various aspects of the strategic agenda are in the plans for the rest of the year.
India and the EU are targeting completion of a Security of Information Agreement by the end of this year, paving the way for secure sharing of classified data and enhanced defence and intelligence collaboration. This follows the Security and Defence Partnership agreed at the January summit. The engagements build on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent trip to Brussels, where discussions covered FTA implementation, the West Asia war, the Ukraine war, and Indo-Pacific priorities.
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The January summit marked a turning point, with leaders endorsing a broad strategic roadmap covering prosperity, sustainability, technology, security, connectivity, and people-to-people links. The FTA promises tariff eliminations or reductions, opening markets for Indian exports in textiles, leather, gems, and pharmaceuticals while granting European firms better access to automobiles, machinery, and spirits.
