PM Modi hosts 16th EU-India summit today: Trade, defence, mega FTA — What’s on the agenda?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the 16th EU-India summit in New Delhi today. The visiting President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will represent the EU at the summit.

The summit will offer an opportunity to build on the EU-India strategic partnership and further strengthen collaboration across key policy areas such as trade, security and defence, the clean transition and people-to-people cooperation, according to a statement from European Council.

Presidents Costa and von der Leyen will also attended 77th Republic Day celebrations on 26 January, as guests of honours.

The Secretary said that the deal will be balanced, forward-looking and help with better economic integration with EU. The deal will boost trade and investment between the two sides, he said.

The summit will take place against the backdrop of the positive momentum in EU-India relations in recent years, and the sustained high‑level engagement across all domains. In October 2025, the Council of the EU endorsed the new strategic EU-India agenda and its objective of further developing EU-India ties.

The leaders at the summit are expected to adopt a joint EU-India comprehensive strategic agenda, which aims to increase strategic cooperation between both sides in four areas --

1)Prosperity and sustainability.

2)Technology and innovation.

3)Security and defence.

4)Connectivity and global issues.

In an interview with Euro News ahead of a high-level EU-India summit, European Union Trade Commissioner Marcos Sefcovic said the long-awaited free trade agreement with India could significantly open the Indian market to European firms.

Sefcovic described the prospective pact as the "mother of all deals," noting that negotiators are "checking their final numbers" as the European bloc pushes to reduce India's steep import duties, which can reach up to 150% in some sectors.

"In some sector, India has tariff going up to 150%. And therefore, big parts of the economy has been completely closed off to the European exporters," he said, adding: “Now the big benefit will be opening the economy.”

“Leaders will also focus on the closer collaboration between the EU and India on security and defence matters, especially in the context of establishing a security and defence partnership,” the statement read.

According to Sefcovic, the agreement would create a free trade area encompassing roughly 2 billion people and lift many Indian customs duties on European goods, although sensitive sectors will be excluded to focus on "the positive outcome."

"This is the largest trade deal ever," he said, highlighting that around 6,000 European companies already operate in India and trade between the two partners has surged significantly over the past decade, reported Euro News.

The leaders are also expected to discuss regional and global matters, in particular: the importance of an effective multilateral system, a free and prosperous Indo‑Pacific region, Russia's war against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, according to the official statement.

Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that a successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure. Her remarks came after witnessing the 77th Republic Day celebrations at the majestic Kartavya Path, a day ahead of the India-EU summit.

"It is the honour of a lifetime to be Chief Guests at the Republic Day celebrations. A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure. And we all benefit," Von der Leyen said on social media after the ceremony.

"Their presence underscores the growing strength of the India-European Union partnership and our commitment to shared values," he said.

(With agency inputs)