The ambassador of the European Union to India, Hervé Delphin, voiced optimism that the case for a Free Trade Agreement and an Investment Protection Agreement between India and the EU is “stronger than ever”, with the 14th round of negotiations set to begin on October 6.

Speaking at the 2nd AGM of the Federation of European Business in India, Delphin said negotiations were progressing despite challenges.

“President von der Leyen and PM Modi set the objective to conclude the FTA by the end of this year. The negotiating teams are working hard to deliver it. Fair to say the negotiations are challenging, and important issues remain to be solved. The 13th round earlier in September, with the direct involvement of commissioners Sefcovic and Hansen on the EU side, did not result in the sort of breakthrough which was expected. The EU was and is still ready to conclude on a meaningful package. We look forward to the next round and further negotiations towards a mutually
beneficial deal,” Delphin said.

India-Singapore trade

India’s commerce minister Piyush Goyal, on a three-day visit to Singapore, called for greater India-Singapore business collaboration to boost trade and investment. He met leaders of Sembcorp, Keppel, Nomura, Blackstone and TPG, discussing opportunities in clean energy, infrastructure, data centres and supply chains, while highlighting India’s growth potential and investment opportunities.