India and Europe: Partners for a Stable World Order?

When European Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attended India's Republic Day parade on 26 January 2026 as chief guests – the first EU leaders to hold that honour – the symbolism was unmistakable. The following day, at the 16th India–EU Summit in New Delhi, the two sides concluded a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) nearly two decades in the making; and a Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). While the FTA dominated the headlines as Von der Leyen called it the “mother of all deals”, the SDP was a historic milestone too. Yet beneath the triumphant rhetoric, a sober truth surfaced: this landmark was born not from a resurgence of faith in globalisation, but from its unravelling. Three converging pressures – US President Trump’s tariff offensive, China's growing assertiveness, and Russia's war in Ukraine – had finally forced Brussels and New Delhi to treat each other as meaningful partners beyond platitudes. As the international system enters an era of fragmentation, technological disruption, and institutional dysfunction, Brussels and New Delhi are discovering their convergences in world politics. In less than six months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 5-day visit to Europe (May 15–20) covering four countries (Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy), followed by another tour to France and Slovakia less than a month later (June 14–20) on the side-lines of the G7 Summit, underscored this growing partnership. These reflect the trend of expanding engagement beyond trade and immigration as defence and strategic issues are emerging as regular themes of cooperation. While economic ties had been an enduring driver of the India–EU relation, these novel developments in security deserve closer attention.