European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to explore a security and defense partnership with India during high-level meetings in New Delhi on February 28, 2025, while both sides committed to finalizing a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) by year's end [1][3].

The proposed security partnership, modeled after similar EU arrangements with Japan and South Korea, aims to address common challenges including cross-border terrorism, maritime security, and cyber threats [7]. This marks a significant expansion of EU-India cooperation beyond existing trade relationships.

"We are exploring a future Security and Defence Partnership with India in the mould of the partnerships we have with Japan and South Korea," von der Leyen stated during her address in New Delhi [7].

The visit comes at a crucial time as the EU seeks to diversify its strategic partnerships amid growing global tensions. Von der Leyen is accompanied by 20 members of the EU's College of Commissioners - their first collective visit outside Europe since receiving their new mandate [6].

On the trade front, bilateral relations have shown significant growth, with the EU currently serving as India's largest trading partner. Trade volume reached $137 billion in goods and over $51 billion in services during 2023-24 [9]. Both sides have directed their teams to conclude the long-pending FTA negotiations by the end of 2025.

The upcoming 10th round of FTA negotiations is scheduled for March 10-14 in Brussels [2]. Key discussion points include addressing non-tariff barriers such as the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which India argues could impact its MSMEs with tariffs up to 35% on certain goods [9].

The meetings also focused on strengthening cooperation in technology and innovation, with both sides agreeing to collaborate on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and 6G development [1].