EU-India Summit 2026

The forthcoming EU–India Summit, scheduled for 27 January 2026, takes place amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty and significant shifts in the global order. Its strategic context has been shaped in part by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s recent visit to India, which served as a key bilateral precursor. 

As the EU and India increasingly position one another as essential partners, cooperation has deepened well beyond trade to include digitalisation and emerging technologies, green technologies, supply-chain resilience, climate governance, and defence and security cooperation. The Summit is therefore expected to serve not only as a stocktaking exercise, but also as a signal of longer-term intent, offering insights into how both sides approach strategic autonomy and partnerships in an increasingly fragmented international system.

This webinar will assess the Summit’s outcomes - including, if realized, the long-anticipated Free Trade Agreement - by examining their strengths, shortcomings, and future potential.

Key questions include:

• How does the Summit reflect the EU’s and India’s respective - and joint - threat perceptions in the current geopolitical context?
• What were the most significant outcomes, and where did results fall short of expectations?
• What signals do the Summit outcomes send to third actors, particularly China, the United States, and Indo-Pacific partners?
• How credible and implementable are the commitments made?
• What is the future trajectory of the EU–India partnership?

Speakers

• Suhasini Haidar
  Diplomatic Editor, The Hindu
   
• Prof. Jesse Scott
  Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation
   
• Prof. Rajat Kathuria
  Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences & Professor of Economics, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence
   
• Manisha Reuter
  Deputy Programme Director, Asia Programme, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)

Moderation: Dr. Happymon Jacob, Founder & Director, Council for Strategic and Defense Research (CSDR)

Contact:
Abhishek Chauhan
E abhishek.chauhan@in.boell.org

Language:
The presentations will be held in English.