The India-EU Trade Deal: What It Delivers and What It Doesn't

The India-EU Trade Deal: What It Delivers and What It Doesn't

From Interpreting India by Carnegie India

April 23, 2026 · 51 min · Season 5 · Episode 40

About this episode

This episode discusses the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, its contents, gaps, and implications for the future.

In this episode of Interpreting India, Vrinda Sahai is joined by Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki, Advisor for Trade and Economic Security at the Jacques Delors Institute, for a detailed conversation on the India-EU Free Trade Agreement. After decades of slow-moving negotiations, both sides have arrived at what is shaping up to be the most ambitious trade deal India has ever signed. Nicolas unpacks what is in the agreement, what is missing, and what its success will depend on in the years ahead. What finally brought India and the EU to the table after years of negotiations going nowhere, and why the timing matters as much as the deal itself? How does this agreement compare to India's previous trade deals and to the EU's agreements with other partners, and where are the clearest gaps? How significant are the non-tariff barriers including the EU's regulatory standards? What do the mobility provisions mean for Indian IT professionals, and how realistic are the promises given the political climate across EU member states?

People in this episode

Host: Vrinda Sahai

Guest: Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki

Topics covered

  • India-EU Trade Agreement
  • Free Trade Agreement
  • Economic Security
  • Trade Negotiations

Keywords

  • trade deal
  • non-tariff barriers
  • mobility provisions
  • IT professionals

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Interpreting India

Places: India

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