India-EU Announce Historic Trade Deal: Why Formal Signing Will Take Months

• India and the EU announced a historic "mother of all" trade deal, creating a free trade zone for two billion people.
• The agreement was announced during a summit in New Delhi, attended by PM Narendra Modi, Ursula von der Leyen, and Antonio Costa.
• The deal, first launched in 2007 and resumed in 2022, aims to boost bilateral trade, which reached USD 136 billion in 2024-25.
• India will cut tariffs on over 90% of EU goods (wines, machinery, pharma), while the EU will reduce tariffs on Indian exports (textiles, spices, gems).
• Formal signing may take at least six months due to detailed legal scrubbing and ratification processes by both sides.

Why It Matters: India and the EU have concluded a landmark trade deal, but formal ratification will take several months.