India-EU Free Trade Agreement Set to Conclude by December, Says Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has announced that negotiations for the India-EU free trade agreement (FTA) are approaching their final stages, with a likely conclusion expected by December.

He stated that the talks are making excellent progress, with significant advancements achieved in recent rounds of discussions, while remaining differences are currently being addressed.

"Trade talks are progressing very well. Chances are it may be concluded by December. We are at last leg of negotiations. The toughest things are decided at the end. We are in close range of negotiations," Agrawal remarked on Wednesday.

The Commerce Secretary noted substantial progress during the last round of talks and indicated that efforts are underway to narrow existing differences between the parties.

"We have not scheduled the next round because we feel there are issues across areas which we need to resolve, and they need to be resolved on a continuous basis. Some officials of the Indian team have stayed back in Brussels to carry forward the negotiation on the rules of regions. That is one area a lot of work needs to be done," he explained.

The 14th round of India-EU FTA negotiations was conducted in Brussels from October 6 to 10, 2025, encompassing 12 policy areas across 91 technical sessions. These discussions focused on key aspects including market access for goods and services, Rules of Origin, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).

Earlier this month, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had mentioned that "very good discussions" took place between the EU and India in Brussels.

Goyal expressed optimism regarding the partnership, characterizing it as a collaboration between the USD 20 trillion European Union comprising 27 countries and India, which currently stands as the fastest growing large economy globally.

As the India-EU FTA negotiations continue to advance steadily alongside bilateral negotiations for other trade agreements, India's trade engagement with global partners is anticipated to receive a significant boost in the coming months.