India-EU Relations

India was among the first countries to recognise the European Economic Community, back in 1962. Six decades on, the relationship finally has its own dedicated council for trade and technology.

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International Relations · IntlRel0066

India – EU Relations

From a 1962 hello to a dedicated Trade and Technology Council

1962

India establishes diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community, among the first countries to do so.

1994

India and the EU sign a Cooperation Agreement, building on the 1993 Joint Political Statement.

2004

Ties are upgraded to a “Strategic Partnership” at the 5th India-EU Summit, The Hague.

Apr 2022

PM Modi and EU Commission President von der Leyen launch the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC).

15 Jul 2026

The 3rd India-EU TTC Ministerial meets in Brussels; Piyush Goyal holds parallel industry talks.

$136B

bilateral goods trade (2024-25)

1st

TTC India has with any partner

3

TTC working groups

A relationship, formalised in layers

Cooperation Agreement (1994) to Strategic Partnership (2004) to a dedicated Trade and Technology Council (2022) — each step added a more specific, working-level structure on top of the last.

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Timeline

• 1962: India establishes diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community.
• 1993-94: A Joint Political Statement (1993) and a Cooperation Agreement (1994) formalise the relationship.
• June 2000: The first India-EU Summit is held, in Lisbon.
• 2004: Ties are upgraded to a “Strategic Partnership” at the 5th India-EU Summit, The Hague.
• April 2022: PM Modi and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launch the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC).
• January 2026: The 16th India-EU Summit adopts a Joint EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda.
• 15 July 2026: The 3rd India-EU TTC Ministerial meets in Brussels.

Must Know

• India established diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community in 1962, among the first countries to do so.
• The relationship was upgraded to a “Strategic Partnership” at the 5th India-EU Summit in 2004, held at The Hague.
• The India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was launched in April 2022 by PM Modi and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
• The TTC is India’s first such council with any partner. For the EU, it is the second, after the one with the United States.
• The TTC works through 3 working groups: strategic technologies and digital connectivity; green and clean energy technologies; and trade, investment, and resilient value chains.
• The 3rd TTC Ministerial met in Brussels on 15 July 2026.

Good to Know

• Bilateral goods trade between India and the EU reached about $136 billion in 2024-25. India’s exports stood at $76 billion, against imports of $60 billion.
• In 2024 alone, bilateral trade in goods touched €120 billion, roughly 90% higher than a decade earlier.
• The first TTC meeting was held in May 2023; the second in February 2025.
• India and the EU have been negotiating a long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Parallel talks are also underway on an Investment Protection Agreement and a Geographical Indications Agreement.
• At the January 2026 Summit, both sides adopted a Joint EU-India Comprehensive Strategic Agenda, setting priorities across trade, technology, security, and connectivity.
• The EU is a bloc of 27 member states. Several, including France, Spain, Finland, Poland, and Estonia, also maintain their own dedicated bilateral relationships with India.

Test Yourself

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1. In which year did India establish diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community?

1947

1962

1994

2004

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Great to Know

• India’s bloc-level ties with the EU sit alongside its bilateral ties with individual member states. See IntlRel0065 — India-Spain Relations and IntlRel0045 — India-France Relations for how the two levels interact.
• The long road from a 1994 Cooperation Agreement to a 2022 Trade and Technology Council shows how India-EU ties evolved. What began as broad economic cooperation now runs through detailed, sector-specific working groups.
• India being the EU’s first-ever TTC partner is a meaningful marker. It reflects how India’s economic and technological weight has grown in Brussels’ own strategic calculations.
• The pending India-EU FTA is one of India’s most closely watched trade negotiations. The EU is a major trading bloc, and India has closed several other big deals recently.

Current Affairs

• 15 July 2026: The 3rd India-EU Trade and Technology Council Ministerial met in Brussels, reaffirming the strategic partnership. (Source: PIB)
• On the sidelines, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal held industry-focused talks in Brussels on 14-15 July 2026. He met Thales Belgium and Silox Group executives, and joined a business roundtable hosted by the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB). It covered trade facilitation, investment, supply chains, and digital innovation. (Source: PIB)
• Goyal was joined at the roundtable by the External Affairs Minister and the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology. This underlined the whole-of-government push behind the visit. (Source: PIB)