India, EU sign document on conclusion of free trade pact negotiations

Deal between South Asian nation, 27-member European bloc dubbed ‘mother of all deals,’ likely to be signed later this year- New Delhi, Brussels also sign security and defense partnership agreement

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - India and the EU on Tuesday signed a document on the conclusion of negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA), Press Trust of India reported.

The signing was done after summit-level talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa for talks in New Delhi.

The two sides also inked a security and defense partnership agreement, as well as a pact on a “comprehensive” framework for mobility.

“India today inked its biggest free trade deal with the 27-nation European Union,” Modi said in his remarks to the media.

Indian Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said Monday that India and the EU had finalized their FTA.

The agreement is expected to be signed later this year and may come into force early next year, Agrawal said.

New Delhi and Brussels had been engaged in FTA talks for some 20 years before the two sides reached a conclusion on Monday.

According to the Indian government, the EU remains India’s largest trading partner for goods, with bilateral trade volume reaching approximately $136 billion in 2024-25.

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