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European Commission - Speech Speech by President von der Leyen at the EU-India Business Forum New Delhi, 27 January 2026 Prime Minister Modi, Minister Goyal, Commissioner Šefčovič, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a privilege and a distinct pleasure to be with you today. I very much welcome this opportunity to hear your contributions. This is indeed a momentous day for the EU-India relationship, especially f...
European Commission - Speech Speech by President von der Leyen at the EU-India Business Forum New Delhi, 27 January 2026 Prime Minister Modi, Minister Goyal, Commissioner Šefčovič, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a privilege and a distinct pleasure to be with you today. I very much welcome this opportunity to hear your contributions. This is indeed a momentous day for the EU-India relationship, especially from an economic and business perspective. Because the business sector is key to relations between Europe and India. At this moment, strong partnerships have never been more important. And one thing is clear: India and Europe are trusted and reliable strategic partners. We stand together. United in our commitment to help our businesses endure, thrive and grow. To reduce our strategic dependencies. And to realise the incredible potential of our economic relationship. This brings me to my first point. Today, Prime Minister Modi and I have concluded the Free Trade Agreement negotiations between Europe and India. Together, Europe and India are creating the world's largest trading zones. The FTA between Europe and India is a clear strategic choice. A choice for certainty and predictability in an uncertain world. This FTA will give businesses what they value most: clear rules, stable market access, and long-term confidence to invest. It signals that Europe and India are choosing cooperation over fragmentation, and partnership over uncertainty. Because our FTA ushers in a new era. It unites two of the world's largest economies. That is a market of 2 billion people - a quarter of global GDP. It brings lower tariffs and export duties, and simplified customs procedures. European companies already employ more than 3 million people in India. And Indian firms are investing more and more in Europe. In ten years, goods traded between Europe and India have almost doubled to 120 billion EUR. Now the FTA will unleash even more potential and combine our strengths to create even greater levels of growth. And that is just the beginning. This is my second point. Trade connects economies, but investment anchors them. Deeper investment is what truly strengthens our economic relationship. Investment builds long-term partnerships, jobs, and resilience. So, I want our FTA to be a platform not only for more trade, but also for more investment. European companies are ready to invest more in India. Like the EUR 1.1 billion investment for solar projects, led by EDF Renewables. Or the long-awaited opening of IKEA's first store in India, right here in Delhi. But I know that we can do so much more. So, I welcome the continued discussions on market access, finances, and investments. To deepen this framework beyond trade, Prime Minister Modi and I have asked our teams to complete negotiations on Investment Protection and Geographical Indications. I am confident we can make progress to provide a secure framework for two-way investment. My third point concerns safe and reliable supply chains. We all understand the need to reduce dependencies and increase diversification. So, we are focusing on specific strategic industries and critical technologies. Like advanced components, where our new Semiconductor Agreement will be key. Creating alternative supply chains creates major opportunities. And today I can introduce a new initiative called Blue Valleys. These are designed to boost industrial cooperation in strategic sectors, by connecting business, regulators and investors. They will help to remove barriers, mobilise investment, and scale up joint industrial capacity. Each Blue Valley will focus on a specific sector, like clean tech or machinery, at a specific location in India. European and Indian businesses will be encouraged to form partnerships inside the Blue Valley. So, the goal is to foster more business-to- business relationships. And further integrate each other's value chains. This concept is ideal for sectors where Europe and India are active on both supply and demand side. A small but very successful pilot project was tested in Assam. And now we will expand this to larger-scale projects in other parts of India, in areas like solar invertors and electrolysers. This brings me to my final point. The clean transition has huge dividends for those who lead it. Including lower energy prices and increased competitiveness. To harness this potential, boost investment and foster business, we will host a Wind Business Summit this year. And our Task Force on Green Hydrogen will drive innovation and play a key role in decarbonisation. We want to unite with India on this new frontier. Because I am confident that Europe and India can lead on clean tech. Ladies and Gentlemen, There is an Indian quote which I like: Wisdom grows through listening. This is what we did here today, and what we should do in future. Thank you for showing how we can make our relationship even stronger and deeper. I very much look forward to seeing the full potential of the FTA brought to life by our businesses. Thank you very much. SPEECH/26/243 Press contacts: Paula PINHO (+32 2 29 20815) Olof GILL (+32 2 29 65966) Arianna PODESTA (+32 2 298 70 24) General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email
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