India-EU FTA: Time to conclude is now

The European Union has shown flexibility in its FTA policy. India must capitalise

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In a rapidly evolving geopolitical and trade context, the European Union (EU) has emerged as the most proactive economy in strategically reorienting its trade policy in search of alternative partners beyond the United States (US).

In view of the impending risks of President Donald Trump assuming power in 2025, the EU, as a preemptive trade policy action, signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with Mercosur in December 2024. In 2025, the EU has accelerated its FTA negotiations with the dynamic member economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). While the EU-Indonesia FTA was signed earlier this week, the long-pending FTA negotiations with the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia have also been resumed. This is alongside active signalling by the EU of a desire to deepen economic integration with the mega-regional Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).