FTA between India, EU likely to come in force within 2026 calendar year: Piyush Goyal

28 Jan 2026 Evaluate

After the announcement of the conclusion of negotiations for the historic trade pact, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said that the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the EU is likely to come in force within the 2026 calendar year. He said ‘Every agreement stands on its own legs, and this is a wonderful agreement. It'll be taken up for a legal scrubbing on a fast-track basis...We do hope that we should be able to celebrate the entry into force of this agreement within calendar 2026 itself.’

He said the deal has been concluded after negotiations spanning over two decades, and the pact will create a market of about 2 billion people across the world's fourth-largest economy, India, and the second-largest economic bloc, the EU. Taken together, India and the EU account for 25 per cent of the global GDP and one-third (about $11 trillion) of the international trade (about $33 trillion).

He further said that the European Union and India, leaving the sensitive issues aside, have come up with a ‘balanced, equitable, and fair’ free trade agreement, which is a win-win for all sections of industry, both in India and the European Union. He said it will open up a plethora of opportunities for investment.

India and the 27-nation European Union (EU) had concluded talks for the agreement, which is described as 'mother of all deals'. Once implemented, 93 per cent of Indian shipments will enjoy duty-free access to the European Union, while the import of luxury cars and wines from there will become less expensive in India. The EU has become India's 22nd FTA partner.

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