European Council President António Luís Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyenwill visit India to represent the European Union at the 16th EU-India Summit scheduled for January 27, 2026, in New Delhi.

They are set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consolidate the EU-India strategic partnership and further strengthen cooperation across key policy areas, including trade, security and defence, the clean transition, and people-to-people cooperation.

As part of the visit, the two presidents will also take part as guests of honour at India’s 77th Republic Day Parade on January 26—the first time leaders of the European Union have attended the celebrations in that capacity.

The summit comes amid ongoing negotiations between India and the EU for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). According to officials, 20 of the 24 chapters of the proposed trade pact have been completed, with intense day-to-day discussions underway to try to meet timelines ahead of the leaders’ meeting.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s recent visit to Brussels earlier in January was noted as a step forward in the FTA discussions ahead of the high-level talks in Delhi.