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As Ursula von der Leyen arrives in India for the Republic Day celebrations, trade agreements, security partnerships, and strategic cooperation take center stage. This visit may pave the way for a groundbreaking trade deal between India and the EU amid shifting global trade dynamics.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in the national capital on Saturday on a state visit and was received by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada.
Von der Leyen, along with European Council President António Luis Santos da Costa, will serve as chief guests at India's 77th Republic Day celebrations on Monday.
Apart from the Republic Day event, the two presidents will represent the EU in the 16th EU-India Summit, scheduled to take place on 27 January.
The two Presidents will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for a summit aimed at building on the EU-India strategic partnership and further strengthening collaboration across key policy areas, according to a press statement from European Council.
“Trade, security and defence, the clean transition and people to people cooperation will top the agenda of the discussions,” the statement said.
‘On the cusp of a historic trade agreement’
Speaking earlier this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, von der Leyen said, "We are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement (with India)." Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has described the proposed free trade agreement as "the mother of all deals", as New Delhi and Brussels look to expand market access amid tightening global trade conditions driven by US tariffs and Chinese export restrictions.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met ambassadors from European Union member states and underlined the need for closer cooperation to "derisk the world economy" in response to unpredictable US policies.
India and the European Union have both been impacted by the trade approach of US President Donald Trump. India faces tariff rates of up to 50 per cent on certain exports to the United States, while the EU is yet to ratify a trade arrangement with Washington that has been criticised as imbalanced.
Before the two Republic Day chief guests, Kaja Kallas, the EU Vice-President, landed in the national capital on Saturday on her first official visit to India Kallas, has described India as "indispensable" to Europe's economic and strategic future, according to news agency ANI. The 27-nation bloc has also advanced a new security and defence partnership with India.
Together, India and the European Union represent around a quarter of the global population and gross domestic product. According to EU data, bilateral trade in goods touched 120 billion euros in 2024, marking an increase of nearly 90 per cent over the past decade, while trade in services amounted to an additional 60 billion euros.
Who is Ursula von der Leyen?
Ursula has been holding the position of President of the European Commission since 2019. Born on October 8, 1958, in Brussels to a Turkish-German family of mixed heritage, Ursula von der Leyen is a medical doctor by profession. She has been family affairs labour minister as well as the defence minister between 2013 and 2019 in Germany.
Itinerary of President von der Leyen in India
-24 January, 2026: Arrival in New Delhi
-25 January, 2026: President von der Leyen in India. Together with President of the European Council, meets S Jaishankar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of India
-26 January, 2026: President von der Leyen in India: together with President of the European Council António Costa, participates in India’s 77th Republic Day Parade celebrations; meets Droupadi Murmu, President of India.
-27 January, 2026: President von der Leyen meets PM Narendra Modi, participates in the EU-India Business Forum. participates in a banquet hosted by President Murmu; meets CP Radhakrishnan, Vice President of India.
We are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement (with India).
-27 January, 2026: President von der Leyen in India and President of the European Council António Costa, participates in the 16th EU-India Summit.
(With agency inputs)
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