According to GTRI, Indian exporters continue to face regulatory delays in pharmaceutical approvals within the EU, alongside stringent sanitary and phytosanitary norms that affect agricultural shipments, including buffalo meat. Unless these non-tariff hurdles are addressed meaningfully, GTRI cautioned, the economic promise of the free trade pact may remain largely unrealised for key Indian sectors. "Tariff liberalisation alone will not deliver proportional export gains unless accompanied by regulatory cooperation, faster approvals and mutual recognition in any trade deal with the EU," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said. India and the EU are also negotiating a separate GI (Geographical indicators) and investment protection pacts. The EU is a major source of foreign direct investment in India, with cumulative investment stock exceeding 100 billion euros as of 2024.

Source: The Telegraph January 19, 2026 17:07 UTC