Goyal heads to Brussels to push India-EU trade pact

After wrapping up his visit to Germany, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will arrive in Brussels on October 27–28 for crucial trade talks with European Commission Executive Vice-President and Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefcovic, as India and the European Union (EU) race to conclude a long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The visit comes at a make-or-break stage in the negotiations, with both sides seeking to bridge gaps on market access, tariffs and regulatory standards. Officials said the Brussels meetings aim to provide “political direction” to the 15-year effort to finalise a comprehensive and balanced trade deal that could significantly boost Indian exports to Europe.

Goyal’s back-to-back visits to Germany and Belgium underline New Delhi’s intensified trade diplomacy with Europe. As talks enter their final stretch, both sides are signalling the political will to deliver results — though officials concede that complex issues such as duty concessions, environmental clauses and data regulations may still need further convergence before a deal can be signed.

“The talks have reached a mature stage. Minister Goyal’s meeting in Brussels is meant to push the process across the finish line,” said an official familiar with the discussions. Goyal and Šefcovic will hold bilateral discussions and review progress from the 14th round of negotiations held earlier this month.

According to officials, issues on the table include trade in goods and services, intellectual property rights, investment protection and sustainability standards — all areas where negotiators have been working to narrow differences.

The visit also follows renewed political momentum in the India–EU partnership, reinforced by the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier this year. Both leaders had emphasised the need for a “future-ready” trade framework that supports innovation, clean technology and resilient supply chains.

With the EU among India’s largest trading partners, accounting for over $130 billion in two-way trade, a successful FTA could open major opportunities for exporters in pharmaceuticals, textiles, IT services and automobiles, while offering European firms greater access to Indian market.