Piyush Goyal To Travel To Brussels As India, EU Prep For Republic Day Trade Milestone
The EU is India’s third-largest trading partner, and a comprehensive trade pact is expected to significantly boost bilateral trade, investment flows and technology cooperation.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Brussels on Jan. 8–9, 2026, as India and the European Union enter the final stretch of negotiations for a long-pending free trade agreement, with EU leaders expected to travel to New Delhi for the Republic Day celebrations later.
Goyal’s visit is likely aimed at resolving the remaining political and trade-sensitive issues in the India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), ahead of a possible signing or announcement during the high-profile visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, who are slated to be the chief guests at India’s Republic Day events.
The Brussels visit follows months of intensified engagement between the two sides, as both New Delhi and Brussels seek to conclude the agreement amid shifting global trade dynamics, supply chain realignments and geopolitical uncertainty.
India and the EU have held several rounds of negotiations this year, narrowing differences on market access for goods, services, investment protection, government procurement and sustainability-related provisions; however, some remain.
The EU is India’s third-largest trading partner, and a comprehensive trade pact is expected to significantly boost bilateral trade, investment flows and technology cooperation.
The minister’s Europe tour will also include Liechtenstein on Jan. 7.
India has been pushing to conclude a "balanced and mutually beneficial" FTA with the EU, while safeguarding sensitive sectors such as agriculture, dairy and MSMEs. The EU, for its part, has been seeking greater market access and regulatory certainty in India.
Von der Leyen and Modi had agreed upon a year-end deadline to conclude talks, but negotiations have spilled into next year.
