India, EU reaffirm push for future-ready partnership, accelerate FTA negotiations

The India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) complements ongoing efforts towards an ambitious, balanced and mutually beneficial India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), said Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

Co-chairing the Ministerial Meeting on the India-EU TTC in Brussels, the minister said “we reviewed progress across resilient supply chains, critical and emerging technologies, clean energy and innovation, deep-tech startups, green hydrogen, and EVs and batteries”.

“We also reaffirmed our resolve to deepen economic engagement and build future-ready partnerships that benefit businesses and citizens alike,” Goyal said in a post on X, adding that it also continues to drive our strategic partnership by translating shared priorities into meaningful cooperation.

Earlier, Goyal, along with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, participated in a Business Roundtable hosted by the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB).

According to an official statement, the roundtable brought together leading Indian and European industry representatives to deliberate on trade facilitation, investment flows, supply chain resilience and digital innovation.

Later, Goyal interacted with members of the FICCI delegation. Representatives of Indian industry shared their perspectives on enhancing competitiveness, addressing regulatory challenges and leveraging opportunities under the TTC framework.

The minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting Indian industry in expanding market access and fostering innovation-driven partnerships.

The statement further said that Goyal's engagements in Brussels underscored India's emphasis on industry-led growth and highlighted the critical role of business and industry in advancing India–EU economic cooperation.

These interactions reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening industrial partnerships, promoting innovation, facilitating greater market access and creating new opportunities for Indian enterprises in Europe.

Meanwhile, Goyal met Maros Sefcovic, EU Trade and Economic Security Commissioner, and reviewed the progress on the implementation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The two leaders also “explored avenues to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, critical technologies and resilient supply chains”.

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