India and the European Union are on the verge of concluding their long-pending free trade agreement, with negotiations now in the final stretch ahead of the leaders' meeting scheduled around Republic Day, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Thursday.
"Happy to report that we are very close," Agrawal said, noting that 20 of the 24 negotiating chapters have already been closed, leaving only a handful of unresolved issues. "There are a few issues left, and we are trying to resolve those ahead of the leaders' meeting," he added.
Crucially, Agrawal underlined that sensitive agricultural concerns on both sides have been kept outside the scope of the agreement, easing political and domestic sensitivities that have historically slowed progress in the talks. Agriculture has been among the most contentious areas in India-EU negotiations, particularly on market access and tariff concessions.
The Commerce Secretary said the intent on both sides is to wrap up the negotiations before the January 26 meeting, when senior EU leaders are expected to be in India. "If we can have a deal ready, there could be an announcement," he said, signalling a possible political push to showcase the agreement during the high-profile visit.
The India-EU FTA talks were relaunched in 2022 after a long hiatus and have gained momentum over the past year amid global supply chain realignments and India's push to deepen trade ties with developed economies.
If concluded, the agreement would be among India's most significant trade pacts, covering goods, services, investment and regulatory cooperation, and is expected to provide a major boost to bilateral trade and strategic economic engagement between New Delhi and Brussels
Watch LIVE TV, Get Stock Market Updates, Top Business, IPO and Latest News on NDTV Profit.
