European Commission set to visit India to discuss trade with PM Modi

A full delegation of the European Commission will be in India for two days (February 27-28) to hold a plenary session with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss trade, economic security and resilient supply chains.

The second meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council (TTC) will be held during this visit, with discussions covering clean technologies, digital infrastructure and the compatibility of trade systems.

The Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday that President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will be accompanied by the European Union College of Commissioners, on an official visit to India.

This will be the first-ever visit of the EU College of Commissioners together to India and among the first such visits since the start of the mandate of the current European Commission in December 2024 after the European parliamentary elections held in June 2024.

President Ursula von der Leyen follows the announcement of a new strategic agenda for EU-India relations.

This will be Leyen’s third visit to India. She has earlier visited India for a bilateral official visit in April 2022, and to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September 2023.

Prime Minister Modi and President Ursula von der Leyen have also met regularly on the sidelines of multilateral meetings.

India and European Union are strategic partners since 2004 and their bilateral ties have expanded and deepened across a wide range of areas. As the two sides enter the third decade of the strategic partnership, the visit of President von der Leyen and the EU College of Commissioners will pave the way for further strengthening of bilateral relations based on growing convergences.

Separately, as per already announced plans , India and EU will resume negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) next month.

These talks will continue from where previous discussions were left, with the goal of finalising a deal that addresses areas like digital trade, intellectual property and sustainable development.

Over 6,000 European companies operate in India, creating millions of jobs and supporting economic growth. The FTA is expected to further strengthen this economic cooperation, improving market access and facilitating investments across both regions.