India, EU aim for free-trade deal by year end as Trump tariffs loom

EU chief brings big contingent to meet Modi, calls Delhi 'like-minded friend'

20250228 a ship in Suez Canal

A container ship passing through the Suez Canal. Goods traded between India and Europe ply this route.  © Getty Images

KIRAN SHARMA

NEW DELHI -- India and the European Union are aiming to conclude an ambitious free trade agreement by the end of this year, their leaders announced on Friday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with 27 EU commissioners, is in India on a two-day trip that began on Thursday. The unusually large contingent of commissioners points to the importance the EU has placed on ties with India, with von der Leyen calling the trade deal the world's largest, amid rising geopolitical tensions and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats.

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