Costa, Von der Leyen, Arrive in India to Seal Trade Pact

European Council President Antonio Costa arrived in India on Sunday as the EU and New Delhi seek to seal a free trade pact, capping nearly two decades of negotiations between the economic behemoths, Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The EU sees India as a key future market, while New Delhi views the European bloc as an important source of technology and investment needed to rapidly scale up infrastructure and create millions of jobs. (Photo: Narendra Modi X)

Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are chief guests at this year’s Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on Monday, ahead of an EU-India summit the next day, where they hope to finalize an accord described as the “mother of all deals.”

“The summit will be an opportunity to build on the EU-India strategic partnership and further strengthen collaboration across key policy areas,” the EU Council said on X.

India, the world’s most populous nation, is on track to become the world’s fourth-largest economy this year, according to International Monetary Fund projections.

The EU sees India as a key future market, while New Delhi views the European bloc as an important source of technology and investment needed to rapidly scale up infrastructure and create millions of jobs.