European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in India on Thursday, aiming to strengthen commercial and diplomatic ties with the world's most populous country. The EU and India are seeking to expedite a long-delayed free trade agreement,

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,

Von der Leyen reiterated the EU’s commitment to making the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) a reality. The corridor, launched in 2023 during India’s G20 Presidency, is designed to enhance trade efficiency and connectivity between India,