India and the European Union are accelerating efforts to finalise and sign their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by December 2026, with the proposed signing expected to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anticipated visit to Brussels.

The European Commission has proposed a fast-track approval procedure to the Council of the European Union to speed up the agreement’s adoption. The proposal includes proceeding with the original English version of the agreement rather than waiting for translations into all 24 official EU languages, which could delay the process by more than a year.

Both sides are reportedly targeting December 17 or 18 for signing the agreement, although the timeline remains subject to official confirmation. India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal is expected to visit Brussels to address procedural matters, following Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s recent engagements with European counterparts in Germany and the Netherlands.

The India-EU FTA is expected to strengthen market access, supply chains, trade and investment between the two economies. The agreement could create significant opportunities for Indian exporters across sectors, including textiles, apparel, machinery, chemicals, metals and petroleum products.

Bilateral trade in goods between India and the EU reached €118 billion in 2025, while trade in services amounted to €67 billion. The agreement is expected to become operational in early 2027, subject to the completion of the necessary approval and ratification procedures.

The proposed FTA represents a major step towards deepening India-EU economic cooperation and expanding business opportunities across one of the world’s largest trading partnerships.