EU chief Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Delhi to firm up trade, defence and mobility deals

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in New Delhi on Friday, beginning a four-day visit aimed at firming up a series of big-ticket initiatives to expand India–European Union ties, PTI reported.Von der Leyen’s visit comes ahead of summit talks between India and the EU, with President of the European Council Antonio Costa and von der Leyen scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on January 27. Costa is expected to arrive in the national capital on Sunday, and the two EU leaders will be the chief guests at India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26.At the summit, India and the EU are set to announce the conclusion of the long-awaited free trade agreement, alongside efforts to firm up a strategic defence partnership pact and a framework to facilitate mobility of Indian professionals, officials said.Union Minister Jitin Prasada welcomed von der Leyen on her arrival. The External Affairs Ministry described the visit as a step toward deepening engagement, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saying on X: “Charting the next phase of the India-EU Strategic partnership. A warm welcome to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen, on her State Visit to India.” He added, “As the world’s two largest democracies, India and the EU share a partnership rooted in mutual trust and shared values.”India–EU relations have seen a steady upswing in recent years. The EU, as a bloc, is India’s largest trading partner in goods. In the 2024-25 financial year, total bilateral trade in goods stood at about $136 billion, with Indian exports valued at around $76 billion and imports at about $60 billion, according to official data.