EU-India deal near: 'mother of all deals' to open Indian market to Europe

EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič says negotiations for a free-trade agreement with India are in the final stretch, calling it the 'mother of all deals' that would open India's 1.4‑billion-strong market (and potentially a 2‑billion-people zone) to European exports and services, reduce tariffs (some up to 150%), keep the most sensitive sectors outside the pact, boost the roughly 6,000 European firms already operating in India, and support EU diversification amid global turmoil, though sustainability issues like the EU carbon border tax remain a hurdle.