Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal will visit Brussels on January 8–9, 2026, for high-level discussions aimed at advancing negotiations on the long-pending India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The visit reflects intensified diplomatic and technical engagement between New Delhi and Brussels as both sides seek to accelerate efforts towards concluding a comprehensive trade pact.

India-EU FTA negotiations were formally re-launched in June 2022 after a gap of more than nine years, signalling renewed political intent to deepen economic ties. Since then, the two partners have completed 14 rounds of negotiations, supported by several ministerial-level interactions, with the most recent engagement taking place in December 2025.

The European Union remains India’s largest trading partner and a major source of foreign investment. Bilateral trade in goods saw notable growth during the 2024–25 financial year, underscoring the economic relevance of the proposed agreement. The FTA is being positioned not merely as a tariff-reduction exercise, but as a broad-based partnership aligned with contemporary global trade dynamics.

During the Brussels visit, Goyal will hold discussions with Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, European Union. The meetings are expected to provide strategic direction to negotiating teams, address unresolved issues, and inject momentum into the talks to achieve a balanced and ambitious outcome.

The ministerial engagement follows a week of intensive technical discussions in Brussels, building on deliberations held on January 6–7 between Rajesh Agrawal, Commerce Secretary, Government of India, and Sabine Weyand, Director-General for Trade, European Commission.

India is pressing for zero-duty market access for labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, apparel, gems and jewellery, and handicrafts, with the objective of generating employment and delivering tangible benefits to citizens. Both sides have reiterated strong political commitment to a rules-based trade framework that protects farmers and MSMEs while integrating Indian industry into global value chains.