EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen and almost all 26 EU commissioners are visiting India.
James Crabtree, of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) think tank, said, “Building stronger ties with India — a democracy with increasing global influence — offers both greater economic opportunity and political appeal.”
Here are the key points:
– This marks the first visit of its kind to India and the first trip outside Europe for the new EU leadership team that took office in December 2024.
– The EU is seeking to broaden commercial and diplomatic ties with India as a hedge against deteriorating relations with the United States under President Trump.
– Von der Leyen called India one of the EU’s “most trusted friends and allies” ahead of the trip.
– The EU has been “looking for friends” since Trump’s return to the White House, making India a “natural candidate” as the world’s fifth largest economy.
– Trade will be a major focus – the EU is India’s largest trading partner ($130 billion in goods in 2023), but India accounts for only 2.2% of EU trade in goods.
– Other discussion topics include technology cooperation, AI, security and defense.
– The visit isn’t expected to result in signed deals but will prepare for an EU-India summit later this year.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
