Overview
- At the World Economic Forum, Ursula von der Leyen said talks are "on the cusp" of a deal and confirmed a January 25–27 India visit with European Council president Antonio Costa.
- Officials expect an announcement on the conclusion of negotiations at the January 27 India–EU summit, though final tariff schedules, services access and the carbon border mechanism remain under negotiation.
- The proposed agreement is framed as the "mother of all deals," linking markets of about 2 billion people and nearly a quarter of global GDP with preferential access across the EU’s 27 members.
- India seeks easier mobility for skilled professionals, data adequacy and recognition of qualifications, while the EU pushes for steeper cuts on autos, wines and spirits and broader services market access; agriculture and dairy are expected to be outside the pact’s scope.
- Leaders are also preparing security and defence deliverables and a 2026–2030 strategic agenda, pairing the trade push with deeper industrial and strategic cooperation.