Top EU leaders to visit India as Republic Day guests; likely to sign trade deal

India and the European Union are “very close” to a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), said the government, as both Delhi and Brussels formally announced the EU leadership will travel to India as chief guests for Republic Day and to hold the much-delayed EU-India summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The EU-India BTA talks were originally launched in 2007 and then re-launched in 2022, and negotiations were fast-tracked in February 2025 during a visit by European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen. 

While the trade deal will be the focus of the visit, both sides are also expected to upgrade their strategic partnership, first announced in 2004, and adopt the new EU-India strategic agenda which includes cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

‘Crucial partner’

Both leaders will be accorded a State visit by India, and will witness the Republic Day parade on January 26 and the EI-India summit and a business summit on January 27, 2026.

“India is a crucial partner for the EU. Together, we share the capacity and responsibility to protect the rules-based international order. This meeting will be a key opportunity to build on our partnership and drive progress in our cooperation,” António Costa, President of the European Council said in a statement announcing the visit by him and Ms. Von Der Leyen from January 25-27. 

“Trade, security and defence, the clean transition and people to people cooperation will top the agenda of the discussions,” the statement added.

“[The] participation of EU leaders as chief guests at the 77th Republic Day and the 16th India-EU Summit will further deepen the India-EU strategic partnership and advance collaboration in priority areas of mutual interest,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in its release.

Engaged daily

Speaking to the media on Thursday (January 15, 2026), Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that the negotiation teams were “very close now” to the conclusion of negotiations.

“We have closed 20 out of 24 chapters completely,” Mr. Agrawal said. “There are a few issues that still require ongoing negotiations and we are engaged virtually on a day-to-day basis on these. We are trying to see if we can meet the timeline when our leaders meet.”

Agricultural hurdles

Mr. Agrawal, however, clarified that this was limited to “sensitive agricultural” products.

“My sense is that, the official that has been quoted, said that sensitive agricultural issues on both sides are off the table, and I agree with her,” Mr. Agrawal said.

The question over agricultural products is significant as the EU’s latest trade deal with South American MERCOSUR countries has run into trouble with France over protests by French farmers this week. While Mr. Costa and Ms. Von Der Leyen will sign the agreement in Paraguay on Saturday (January 17, 2026), the European Parliament will need to ratify it. 

Under political pressure over one agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron, whose government survived two no-confidence motions over the agricultural issue this week, may raise his concerns on the agreement with India when he visits next month for the AI summit in Delhi, officials aware of the negotiations said.

The officials said France would be watching progress of the negotiations on agricultural market access especially for items like wine, dairy products, meat and processed food, which are considered “sensitive” for India.