Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada received European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the airport on Saturday. Prasada is also expected to receive António Costa, the former Prime Minister of Portugal, on Sunday. Both leaders are the chief guests for India’s Republic Day celebrations on Monday, January 26.

The choice of the Commerce Minister to receive the EU leaders highlights the main purpose of the visit — strengthening economic ties and pushing forward a long-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union.

Leyen, who earlier served as Germany’s Defence Minister, is also scheduled to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday. The meeting will focus on the future direction of the India-EU partnership.

16th EU-India Summit on Jan 27: Trade deal, defence ties and 5-year strategic roadmap

Beyond the Republic Day celebrations, von der Leyen and Costa will represent the European Union at the 16th EU-India Summit on January 27. During the summit, they will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to deepen the EU-India strategic partnership and expand cooperation in key areas, according to a statement from the European Council.

“Trade, security and defence, the clean transition and people to people cooperation will top the agenda of the discussions,” the statement read.

The EU-India Summit is expected to focus on closer cooperation in key areas such as trade, security, defence, clean energy and people-to-people links. A major outcome could be progress towards finalising the long-pending EU-India Free Trade Agreement, which aims to improve market access and reduce dependence on limited supply chains. The two sides are also likely to sign a new partnership on security and defence.

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The summit is set to approve a broad strategic plan for the next five years. This roadmap will cover economic ties, sustainability, technology and shared global challenges. Both India and the European Union are looking to strengthen security cooperation, boost economic resilience and work more closely at global forums, as international conditions continue to change.

At the end of the meeting, India and the EU are expected to release a joint statement outlining the key decisions taken. They are also likely to publish a detailed five-year strategic agenda that will guide cooperation across major sectors.

The European Union is India’s largest trading partner when it comes to goods. In the 2024–25 financial year, trade in goods between India and the EU stood at around 136 billion US dollars. India exported goods worth about 76 billion dollars, while imports from the EU were valued at around 60 billion dollars.

Separately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about jobs and investment while addressing the government’s 18th Rozgar Mela online on Saturday. He also pointed to the growing flow of foreign direct investment into India. He said global confidence in India is rising, leading to more possibilities for young people. According to him, India is the only major economy to have doubled its GDP in the last ten years. He noted that over 100 countries are now investing in India and that foreign investment has increased to more than two-and-a-half times compared to the decade before 2014. He said higher foreign investment directly leads to more job opportunities for India’s youth.

‘Mother of all deals’: India and EU on brink of a historic trade mega-deal

Earlier this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said India and the European Union are very close to finalising a landmark trade deal. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has also called the proposed free trade agreement the biggest deal of its kind, as New Delhi and Brussels try to widen market access at a time when global trade is under pressure due to higher US tariffs and tighter export controls by China.

On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met ambassadors from European Union countries and stressed the need for stronger cooperation to reduce risks to the global economy. He pointed to uncertainty caused by shifting US policies as a key reason for closer coordination.

Both India and the European Union have felt the impact of US President Donald Trump’s trade policies. Some Indian exports to the United States now face tariffs as high as 50 per cent. The European Union, meanwhile, has not yet approved a trade arrangement with Washington, with critics saying the proposed deal does not adequately protect EU interests.

Ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, EU Vice-President Kaja Kallas arrived in New Delhi on Saturday for her first official visit to India. She has described India as vital to Europe’s economic and strategic future, according to ANI. The European Union has also moved forward on a new partnership with India in the areas of security and defence.

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Together, India and the European Union account for about one-fourth of the world’s population and global economic output. EU figures show that trade in goods between the two sides reached 120 billion euros in 2024, nearly 90 per cent higher than a decade ago. Trade in services added another 60 billion euros during the same period.

President Ursula von der Leyen’s India Visit: Full Schedule, Republic Day Role and India-EU Summit

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is on a multi-day visit to India, with key meetings focused on diplomacy, trade and strategic ties between India and the European Union.

January 24: President von der Leyen arrived in New Delhi.

January 25: Von der Leyen along with European Council President António Costa, to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss India-EU relations.

January 26: President von der Leyen, together with Costa, takes part in India’s 77th Republic Day parade celebrations, where she will meet President Droupadi Murmu as well.

January 27: Von der Leyen to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attend the EU-India Business Forum. On the same day, Leyen and Costa will take part in the 16th EU-India Summit, a key event aimed at strengthening cooperation between India and the European Union. Later in the day, she is expected to participate in a banquet hosted by President Murmu and meets Vice President C P Radhakrishnan.

Highlighting the importance of trade talks, von der Leyen had earlier said that India and the European Union are “on the cusp of a historic trade agreement”.