New round of India-EU trade talks starts today: Ahead of December deadline, what's on the agenda?
The 14th round of India-EU trade negotiations begins today, 6 October. The FTA is likely to cover 23 policy areas and involve significant duty cuts and tax reductions. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal expressed hope the deal would be concluded soon.
India and the 27-member European Union (EU) bloc are set to begin their 14th round of negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) on Monday, 6 October, in Brussels, an official told PTI.
This round of talks, scheduled to last five days from 6-10 October 2025, will see both sides “iron out” differences on issues for “early conclusion” of the negotiations, the official added.
The envisioned pact aims at boosting two-way commerce and investments between India and the EU, covering 23 policy areas and involving significant duty cuts and tax reductions.
Piyush Goyal hopeful agreement coming ‘soon’
The report added that Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has expressed hope that both sides would come to an agreement, and a trade pact between India and the EU would be signed soon.
Goyal is likely to meet EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic in South Africa later in October. The two are set to “review the progress of talks”, ahead of the scheduled December deadline to conclude negotiations, it added.
India-EU free trade agreement in works: What we know
- Sefcovic and the European Commission's Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen were in New Delhi in September 2025 to review the progress of talks with Piyush Goyal.
- Both sides have targeted to conclude negotiations by December 2025.
- Negotiations for the India-EU pact resumed in June 2022 after an eight-year gap. The comprehensive FTA, including geographical indications and investment protection agreement, stalled in 2013 due to differences on the level of opening up markets, as per the report.
- The EU is demanding significant duty cuts in automobiles and medical devices, besides tax reduction for products such as wine, spirits, meat, and poultry. It is also seeking a strong intellectual property regime.
- For India, domestic goods' exports to the EU, such as ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, steel, petroleum products, and electrical machinery, can become more competitive if the pact sails through.
What does the FTA comprise? What are the benefits?
The India-EU trade pact negotiations cover 23 policy areas or chapters, including competition, customs and trade facilitation, dispute settlement, geographical indications, government procurement, investment, IP rights, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, sustainable development, technical barriers to trade, trade in defence, trade in goods, trade remedies, and trade in services.
In FY25, India's bilateral trade in goods with the EU was $136.53 billion — of which, exports comprised goods worth $75.85 billion, and imports were worth $60.68 billion. This made them the largest trading partner for goods.
The EU market accounts for about 17 per cent of India's total exports, and its exports to India constitute 9 per cent of its total overseas shipments. In addition, in 2023, bilateral trade in services between India and the EU was estimated at $51.45 billion.
(With inputs from PTI)