Von der Leyen said during a New Delhi visit that the bloc was considering a defense and security partnership with India. The EU is aiming to achieve a free trade agreement with New Delhi ahead of possible US tariffs.

India and the EU must take their strategic ties to the "next level" in an era of great power competition and geopolitical turmoils and the relationship has the potential to be one of the defining partnerships of this century,

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is on a two-day visit to India, engaging with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other leaders to enhance India-EU relations. The visit aims to deepen cooperation in trade,