Posted On: 27 JAN 2026 9:21PM by PIB Delhi
India-EU Relations Enter a New Era of Alignment: PM
Historic India-EU FTA Opens Market Access for Labour-Intensive Products: PM
PM Calls for Whole-of-Society Partnership to Scale India-EU Relations
India-EU should become Double Engine of Global Growth: PM
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the India-European Union Business Forum at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister expressed happiness at participating in the India-European Union (EU) Business Forum. He remarked that the visit of the Presidents of the European Union Council and Commission to India is not an ordinary diplomatic tour but marks the beginning of a new era in India-EU relations. Shri Modi highlighted that for the first time, EU leaders joined as Chief Guests at India’s Republic Day, India and the European Union concluded the largest Free Trade Agreement in India’s history, and today, with the presence of numerous CEOs, the India-EU Business Forum is being organized at such a large scale. He stated that these achievements symbolize the unprecedented alignment between the world’s two largest democratic powers.
The Prime Minister emphasized that this alignment is not accidental; as market economies, India and the EU share common values, joint priorities for global stability, and natural connections between their people as open societies. He underlined that on this strong foundation, the partnership is reaching new heights and is being established as one of the most influential partnerships in the world, with clear results visible. Shri Modi noted that in the last ten years, trade has doubled to 180 billion euros, more than 6,000 European companies are operating in India, and investments from the EU in India exceed 120 billion euros. He further remarked that 1,500 Indian companies are present in the EU, with Indian investments there reaching nearly 40 billion euros. The Prime Minister highlighted that today, India and European companies are deeply collaborating in R&D, manufacturing, and services, and business leaders are both the drivers and beneficiaries of this cooperation.
Prime Minister Modi stated that now is the time to make this partnership a ‘whole of the society partnership.’ He remarked that with this vision, a comprehensive FTA has been completed today, which will provide easy access for India’s labour-intensive products to the European Union market. Shri Modi highlighted that textiles, gems and jewellery, auto parts, and engineering goods will benefit, while fruits, vegetables, processed food, and marine products will create new opportunities. He underlined that this will directly benefit farmers, fishermen, and also the services sector, particularly IT, education, traditional medicine, and business services.
