India seals landmark EU trade pact

66% say India-EU deal shows India no longer bows to pressure

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ing partner as a bloc and accounting for nearly 17-18 per cent of India’s total exports.

None of India’s recent free trade agreements operate at this base. Goods trade with the UAE is around USD 85-90 billion, with Australia about USD 25-30 billion, and with the EFTA countries combined under USD 20 billion. The size of the partner economy further distinguishes the agreement. The European Union represents a USD 17 trillion economy spanning 27 countries and a population of about 450 million, with per capita incomes far higher than those of India’s other FTA partners. India has not previously concluded a trade agreement with an economic bloc of comparable scale, regulatory integration, or purchasing power.

From the EU's perspective, the agreement with India ranks among its most significant trade pacts, though it is not the bloc’s largest by current trade volume. The EU has more than 40 trade agreements in force with over 70 partners, including major comprehensive agreements with Japan, Canada, South Korea, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom. In terms of existing trade flows, agreements with Japan and the UK currently cover higher annual trade volumes than EU-India trade, reflecting their status as top EU trading partners. India is presently the EU’s ninth-largest goods trading partner.