India, EU aim to seal free trade pact by end of 2025

New Delhi and Brussels have been working toward a free trade agreement for several years

India and the European Union (EU) will conclude a free trade agreement by the end of 2025, Indian Minister of Industry and Commerce Piyush Goyal said following his meeting with European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic in Brussels.

He said the meeting focused on improving market access for businesses in both regions and reinforcing robust and diversified supply chains.

“We reaffirmed our shared commitment to concluding the India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations by the end of 2025,” Goyal wrote on his X page.

The minister also noted that the officials discussed “boosting innovation and competitiveness, and the critical role of investments and mobility in shaping a future-ready agreement.”

New Delhi and Brussels have been working toward a free trade agreement for several years.

Talks began in 2007 but were put on ice in 2013 due to disagreements over intellectual property rights, data protection in IT firms, and access to the common market for certain goods, such as automobiles. Negotiations resumed in 2022.