16th EU-India Summit on Jan 27 to focus on long-negotiated FTA

An India-EU Business Forum is also expected to take place on the sidelines of the summit, which will focus on the long-negotiated India-EU free trade agreement, formally known as the Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA).

Negotiations were launched in 2007, halted for years, and relaunched in 2022. Talks were accelerated in February 2025 during von der Leyen's visit to India.

The two European leaders will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for the summit aimed at building on the EU-India strategic partnership and further strengthening collaboration across key policy areas, a release from the Council said.

Trade, security and defence, clean transition and people-to-people cooperation will top the agenda of the discussions.  

Presidents Costa and von der Leyen will also participate in India’s 77th Republic Day Parade celebrations on January 26. This will mark the first time EU leaders will attend Republic Day Parade celebrations as guests of honour.

In October 2025, the EU Council endorsed the new strategic EU-India agenda, and its objective of further developing EU-India ties. It placed specific focus on prosperity and sustainability, technology and innovation, security and defence, and connectivity and global issues.

“India is a crucial partner for the EU. Together, we share the capacity and responsibility to protect the rules-based international order. This meeting will be a key opportunity to build on our partnership and drive progress in our cooperation,” said Costa.

Bilateral trade between India and the EU was worth $140 billion in 2024, making the bloc India's biggest trading partner.

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