European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa to be chief guests at India’s Republic Day celebrations | Image: Republic
New Delhi: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will be the chief guests at India’s Republic Day parade on January 26, 2026. The two top EU leaders are likely to share the day with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu and EU leaders have reportedly agreed to be the chief guests at the parade.
The visit of the two top European leaders is expected to coincide with the India-EU summit, where discussions are expected to focus on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with both sides aiming to bring the long-pending deal to fruition at the earliest.
The move comes at a time when relations between India and the EU have gained momentum, particularly after the visit of European commissioners to India in February 2025, which helped pave the way for expanded cooperation in trade, defence, technology and people-to-people exchanges.
India-EU FTA
On December 8, India and the European Union (EU) resumed negotiations in New Delhi on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with both sides aiming to conclude the decade-long negotiations by the end of this year.
According to the Commerce Ministry, a dialogue was held between the two sides to expedite the conclusion of the India-EU FTA.
The discussions are expected to focus on resolving outstanding issues related to trade in goods and services, investment rules, public procurement and regulatory standards, including health and technical requirements.
Major sticking points remain, including the EU’s proposed carbon tax, market access for automobiles and steel, rules of origin and barriers in services.
Discussion on the FTA
Minister of Trade and Industry Piyush Goyal and European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic reviewed the progress of the negotiations earlier this month. The long-pending FTA talks were aimed at providing strategic direction to the FTA negotiating teams, where both sides are striving to conclude the deal at the earliest.
Goyal added that negotiations on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement were progressing and a draft of the agreement had been prepared. He said both sides were committed to closing the deal quickly.
India-EU FTA negotiations take place in New Delhi
A high-level team of European Union (EU) negotiators visited New Delhi from November 3-7, 2025 for negotiations with their Indian counterparts on the proposed India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The week-long discussions were part of ongoing efforts to advance negotiations towards a comprehensive, balanced and mutually beneficial trade deal.
The deliberations covered a wide range of chapters, including goods, services, investment, trade, sustainable development, rules of origin and technical barriers to trade.
As part of the negotiations, Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agrawal held detailed meetings with the European Commission’s Director-General for Trade, Ms. Sabine Weyand, to take stock of the progress made on all negotiation tracks.
The negotiations and meetings reflected the strong commitment of both parties to deepen the India-EU partnership and finalize an ambitious and forward-looking agreement that promotes resilient, sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
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