European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen arrives in India

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in New Delhi on her official visit to India on Saturday afternoon.Union Minister Jitin Prasada welcomed von der Leyen on her arrival. In a social media post, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that her visit will explore the next phase of the India and European Union (EU) Strategic partnership. He added that India and the EU share a partnership rooted in mutual trust and shared values. She will be the chief guest along with the President of the European Council António Luís Santos da Costa at Republic Day celebrations on Monday. Both the leaders will also co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit on 27th of this month. 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
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.