Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will meet European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič in South Africa in October, a commerce ministry official informed. The two leaders are expected to hold discussions on the side lines of the G20 ministerial meeting.
According to the official, negotiations with both the EU and the United States are “on the right track”.
India and the EU are seeking to finalise a free trade agreement (FTA) by the end of this year. The next round of formal talks between them is scheduled for 6–10 October in Brussels.
India-EU engaged in the 13th round of trade negotiations in New Delhi this month, which did not make as much progress as anticipated. "We will not agree on everything. But as major democracies in an uncertain world, there are many areas where we can work together," Šefčovič said during his visit.
Doha and Singapore Engagements
The commerce ministry official also informed that Goyal will also visit Doha and Singapore this month to further bilateral trade talks. The minister earlier informed that India is aiming to finalise the terms of reference with Qatar as early as next month.
In Singapore, Goyal’s visit will build on momentum from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s trip to India earlier this month, during which the two countries announced a new roadmap for their comprehensive strategic partnership.
Singapore has consistently been India’s largest source of foreign investment for the past seven years. In FY25, equity inflows from Singapore rose 27 per cent year-on-year, according to figures from Rubix Data Sciences.
