India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, is scheduled to visit Brussels later this October. His mission: to invigorate the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and the European Union, as confirmed by an official on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Before heading to Brussels, Minister Goyal will be in Europe for the Berlin Global Dialogue, an event slated to take place from October 23 to October 25.
Immediately following the Dialogue, critical trade discussions with the European Union are planned in Brussels, where Minister Goyal is set to hold a key meeting with EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic.
This upcoming visit is particularly significant as it follows the recent conclusion of the 14th round of India-EU trade talks, which took place from October 6 to October 10.
Adding to the momentum, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal recently engaged in discussions with Sabine Weyand, the European Commission’s Director General for Trade, also in Brussels.
The intensified pace of these engagements highlights both sides’ commitment to finalize the negotiations by December.
Following his European itinerary, Minister Goyal is also slated for a visit to New Zealand. India and New Zealand initiated their free trade agreement discussions in March and have already completed three rounds of talks.
It’s worth noting that India and the EU resumed negotiations for a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, along with an investment protection agreement and a pact on geographical indications, in June 2022. These talks had been paused for over eight years, having originally stalled in 2013 due to disagreements over market access.
The European Union stands as India’s largest trading partner for goods, with bilateral trade reaching a substantial $136.53 billion in 2024-25. This figure comprises $75.85 billion in exports from India and $60.68 billion in imports.
Currently, the EU market absorbs approximately 17% of India’s total exports, while the bloc’s own exports to India make up 9% of its global shipments.