India, EU to Resume Trade Deal Talks in New Delhi as Deadline Nears

India and the European Union (EU) will launch the 13th round of negotiations on their long-pending free trade agreement (FTA) in New Delhi on September 8, with discussions moving to more contentious issues such as non-tariff barriers, market access, rules of origin and public procurement. Both sides are aiming to conclude the deal by the end of this year, officials familiar with the matter said.

The latest round will be followed by visits from EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic and agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen to lend political momentum to the talks. Negotiators have so far closed 11 of the 23 chapters, including those on intellectual property, customs facilitation, digital trade, and dispute settlement, and are close to finalising another on capital movement.

Talks in New Delhi and a 14th round in Brussels next month will focus on balancing sensitive demands: India has excluded rice, sugar and dairy from the package, while the EU is seeking market access for automobiles and spirits. Both sides are also evaluating offers on services and investments exchanged in July.

The negotiations have gained urgency amid global trade disruptions triggered by US tariff policies. “The tariff wars are creating distortion and everyone is interested in figuring out how we can derisk,” one official said.

The EU has shown interest in aquaculture exports, particularly shrimps, following the US decision to double tariffs on certain imports. India exported about $2.8 billion worth of shrimps to the US last year.

The trade push comes alongside preparations for the India-EU Summit, set to be hosted by New Delhi in early 2026. A series of engagements are planned in the coming weeks, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas unveiling a new strategic agenda for ties with India on September 17.

Leaders from both sides, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, recently reaffirmed their commitment to wrap up the FTA this year.

In parallel, security and technology cooperation will also deepen. A counterterrorism dialogue is planned in Brussels this week, followed later in the year by a ministerial meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC), which oversees collaboration in areas such as AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, defence and security. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar will attend the Indo-Pacific Forum in Brussels in November as part of these engagements.