Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is scheduled to visit Brussels on a two-day official visit on 8–9 January 2026. This visit is considered an important step towards finalizing the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU). The visit is expected to give further impetus to the growing diplomatic and technical dialogue between New Delhi and Brussels.

These talks are taking place at an important juncture in terms of India-EU economic relations. Both sides had resumed FTA negotiations in June 2022 after a gap of nearly nine years. Since the resumption of talks, 14 rounds of formal talks have taken place, as well as several high-level dialogues at the ministerial level. Fresh ministerial-level talks were held between the two sides in December 2025.

The EU is currently India’s largest trading partner and also a major investor. A significant increase has been recorded in bilateral trade in goods between India and EU in the financial year 2024-25. The proposed FTA is being viewed not just as a trade agreement, but as a comprehensive strategic partnership keeping in mind the modern global economic challenges.

During his visit to Brussels, Shri Piyush Goyal will hold high-level meetings with the EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Mr. Marosh Shefkovic. The main objective of these meetings is to provide strategic direction to the teams involved in the talks, to resolve the pending issues and to quickly finalize a balanced and ambitious agreement.

The Ministerial Dialogue was preceded by in-depth discussions between Shri Rajesh Agarwal, Commerce Secretary of India and Ms Sabine Weyand, Director General for Trade of the European Commission, in Brussels on 6–7 January 2026. This meeting was organized with the aim of preparing the basis for the upcoming high-level dialogue.

In line with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a key pillar of India’s negotiation strategy is that the FTA should provide direct benefits to the common citizen. India is demanding zero duty access for labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, apparel, gems and jewelery and handicrafts. Along with this, emphasis is also being laid on protecting the interests of farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).

Both India and the EU have expressed strong political will for a comprehensive and modern agreement. The upcoming talks are expected to reaffirm the commitment to a rules-based trading system and make concrete progress towards connecting Indian industries to global supply chains.

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