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In geopolitics, clarity is rare. But erstwhile it arrives, it demands action. Both are present embodied wrong the deepening narration betwixt the European Union (EU) and India arsenic the 2 sides hole for the upcoming sojourn of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, António Luís Santos da Costa, New Delhi. As main guests astatine India’s 77th Republic Day connected January 26, 2026, and co-chairs of the 16th India–EU Summit connected January 27, their beingness is much than ceremonial. It is an alignment of intent. The optics of EU leaders lasting alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi astatine India’s astir symbolic nationalist solemnisation volition underscore the urgency of this moment.
India, erstwhile assured of its rapport with United States President Donald Trump, present finds itself successful the crosshairs of America — deed with punitive tariffs and disparaging rhetoric, including being accused with the farcical complaint of ‘Modi’s War’ successful Ukraine implicit Indian purchases of Russian oil. New Delhi has rejected this inflammatory rhetoric arsenic “inaccurate and misleading”, cautioning against “double standards”, adjacent arsenic it insists that the concern has survived galore challenging transitions and volition property guardant connected the ground of communal respect and shared interests. Europe understands this rupture each excessively well. Today, the connection is clear: alliances nary longer warrant protection, and strategical autonomy indispensable instrumentality precedence implicit strategical patience.
A narration with potential
For excessively long, the India-EU narration has simmered with unrealised potential. The 2 sides person committed to strengthening the narration but advancement has remained episodic. It is often derailed by communicative wars implicit Russia and China, and by the elemental world that the 2 sides were much focused connected their respective relationships with the U.S. But the caller urgency down this circumstantial sojourn means that it could present effect successful relationship-defining outcomes.
What the FTA tin deliver
First, India and the EU are successful the last stages of negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that has been sputtering on since 2007. It should beryllium viewed arsenic a geopolitical security policy. If realised to its afloat potential, the statement could unlock large opportunities successful textiles and apparel, wherever India seeks tariff reductions to boost exports to Europe; pharmaceuticals and chemicals, sectors wherever India’s competitory borderline tin conscionable EU demand; automobiles and machinery, wherever Europe wants greater entree to India’s increasing market; and integer and services trade, wherever India’s IT assemblage could summation from regulatory harmonisation.
For India, the FTA is besides astir clime equity. One sticking constituent continues to beryllium the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which levies a 20%-35% effectual c complaint connected materials specified arsenic steel, aluminium, cement and fertilizers from India. India sees it arsenic a non-tariff obstruction that has the imaginable to erase the gains an FTA would provide. In the involvement of some sides, Europe should beryllium capable to connection immoderate alleviation to India connected this front, portion inactive ensuring that clime remains a apical argumentation priority.
Second, portion maximising practice successful issues of commercialized and exertion remains vital, possibly the hardest and astir indispensable conversations prevarication successful defence. Ms. Von der Leyen has called for a Security and Defence Partnership with India, connected a par with Japan and South Korea. And portion it is not headline-grabbing similar the FTA, it is astir conscionable arsenic important. For the EU, it would connection entree to India’s defence market, and the accidental for co-production of defence equipment.
For India, it compliments Mr. Modi’s ‘Make successful India’ initiative, which aims to alteration India into a planetary manufacturing hub. It would besides connection entree to European exertion and a model for much associated exercises and coordination successful the Indian Ocean.
As a template for the world
Finally, connected a strategical level, the EU-India concern could beryllium a exemplary for different nations arsenic they recalibrate and hunt for caller partners. With America’s unpredictability and China’s continued assertiveness, India and the EU could connection a exemplary of narration gathering that respects interior home sensitivities, portion recognising the request for flexibility and pragmatism. At the bosom of this alignment is simply a shared content that sovereign choices indispensable stay sovereign, and that neither Beijing, Moscow nor Washington should clasp veto powerfulness implicit India oregon Europe’s strategical decisions. India and the EU person paid the terms of over-dependence — whether connected Russian gas, Chinese markets oregon American information guarantees. Both besides recognise the request for strategical autonomy, which is astir enhancing flexibility, reducing over-exposure to oregon over-dependence connected definite countries, and amplifying each other’s voices connected the planetary stage.
India and the EU person the credibility, the capableness and the superior to co-create a caller section successful multilateralism. If they take to prehend this infinitesimal and debar the trappings of interior bureaucracy, the 2 sides could assistance realise a multipolar bid that is resilient, equitable and sovereign.
Shruti Pandalai is simply a Fellow astatine the M.P. Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses based successful New Delhi. Rachel Rizzo is simply a Senior Fellow successful the Strategic Studies Programme astatine the Observer Research Foundation based successful New Delhi. The views expressed are personal
