India, Jan 30 – The India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has received widespread acclaim from international media, global business leaders, and policy experts, who have described the deal as historic, strategic, and timely.
Leading global outlets highlighted the scale and ambition of the agreement. The Telegraph called it the “mother of all trade deals,” noting that India emerges as the strategic winner with the EU set to reduce tariffs on 99.5% of Indian goods over seven years, while India eliminates or lowers tariffs on 96.6% of EU exports.
Bloomberg emphasised the geopolitical significance of the deal, framing it as a major move by middle powers amid global tariff uncertainties, while The Wall Street Journal highlighted India and the EU’s efforts to expand alliances in response to volatile US trade policies. The New York Times underlined that the deal unites the world’s largest economic bloc with the fastest-growing major economy after nearly two decades of negotiations.
The Washington Post described the agreement as a historic milestone, and The Guardian and BBC both referred to it as the “mother of all deals,” highlighting its unprecedented scale. Al Jazeera noted that the FTA creates access to a $27 trillion market.
Fox News commented that India stands to gain from zero tariffs in several critical sectors, giving it a competitive edge over neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh in the European market.
Global trade experts also praised the FTA. Richard Rossow, Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said the agreement brings together a quarter of the world’s population and a substantial share of global trade. He added that India’s recent trade agreements reflect a clear shift toward deeper and more ambitious economic commitments.
The India-EU FTA is seen not only as an economic milestone but also as a strategic step, strengthening international partnerships and enhancing India’s role in global trade.