Welcome by the Chair

Welcome to the European Parliament's Delegation page for Relations with India.

Relations between the European Parliament and India's Lok Sabha go back to 1981.

Today, the EU is India's largest trading partner in goods and services. Over 6000 EU companies are present in India providing 1.7 million jobs. However, at under EUR 100 billion, the volume of bilateral trade remains modest, compared to the size of our respective economies. In comparison, trade with China is 6 times bigger.

During the previous legislative term, the agenda focused on negotiations on the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, regional and international security issues, cooperation on environmental protection, sustainable development, technology, research and innovation, energy and of course human rights.

The President of the Lok Sabha visited the European Parliament in 2015, and European MEP's paid official visits to India in 2015 and 2017.

India and the EU are strategic partners and global players on the world stage, but a lot of potential still remains untapped.

India's new strategy demonstrates their commitment to enhance relations with the EU further. Parliamentarians on both sides can make a significant contribution to further strengthen this important relationship, as parliamentary diplomacy has become an integral part of the international toolkit.

As most of our regular delegation meetings are web-streamed, you are invited to follow our discussions live online.