India and EU Review Strategic Partnership, Progress on FTA
New Delhi, November 9: India and the European Union have reviewed the full range of their Strategic Partnership, including progress on trade, investment and the proposed India-EU Free Trade Agreement.
The seventh India-EU Strategic Partnership Review Meeting was held in New Delhi and co-chaired by Secretary (West) Sibi George and EU Deputy Secretary-General for Geoeconomics and Interinstitutional Issues Matti Maasikas.
During the meeting, both sides assessed the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Strategic Agenda adopted at the EU-India Summit in January 2026.
Discussions covered trade and investment, resilient supply chains, economic security, clean transition, critical technologies, research and connectivity. The two sides also considered ways to strengthen talent mobility and people-to-people exchanges.
India-EU Free Trade Agreement
The review comes amid preparations to formalise the India-EU Free Trade Agreement. European Council President Antonio Costa said in October that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Brussels in December to sign the agreement.
India and the EU concluded negotiations on the trade pact earlier in 2026. The agreement is expected to create a market covering more than two billion people and representing about one-fourth of the global economy.
Cooperation Under Horizon Europe
India and the EU have also completed negotiations for India’s association with Horizon Europe, the European Union’s flagship research and innovation programme.
The association is intended to establish a long-term institutional framework for research cooperation. It builds on existing research and development projects, the India-EU Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation, and collaboration through the India-EU Trade and Technology Council.
Participation in Horizon Europe will allow Indian researchers, institutions and industries to join collaborative projects seeking programme funding. It will also provide access to European research networks, consortia and advanced infrastructure.
The partnership is expected to encourage greater mobility of skilled professionals and researchers while supporting the joint development of critical technologies, standards and scalable solutions.
