Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal is set to visit Brussels later this week to accelerate negotiations on the proposed India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced on Tuesday.

Agrawal will meet Sabine Weyand, Director General for Trade at the European Commission, to advance discussions that have entered their 14th round. The ongoing five-day talks, led by Special Secretary L. Satya Srinivas, aim to resolve key issues on market access and rules of origin, two of the 23 policy areas under negotiation.

Minister Goyal said “very good discussions” are underway between Indian and EU officials, expressing optimism that both sides will work in a “spirit of understanding” to achieve a fair and balanced agreement. He noted that EU President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have set an ambitious goal of concluding the FTA by the end of 2025.

“The innovation and technology base of the EU holds tremendous potential for Indian businesses, and together, we can leverage each other’s strengths to serve global markets,” Goyal stated.

India sees the FTA as crucial for diversifying export markets, strengthening supply chains, and deepening its economic ties with Europe—its largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods worth EUR 120 billion and total trade, including services, reaching EUR 180 billion.

EU Ambassador Herve Delphin recently stressed that the FTA could significantly boost trade and investment between both economies at a time when “some countries are closing markets and raising tariffs.”

Following Agrawal’s trip, Minister Goyal is expected to visit Brussels again on October 27–28 for high-level discussions with EU Executive Vice-President Maros Sefcovic to finalize the next steps toward a mutually beneficial deal.