The India-European Union Free Trade Agreement could have smooth passage through the European Parliament compared to similar agreements earlier. In a conversation on The Gist, Dr Philipp Ackermann, Germany’s Ambassador to India, was hopeful the treaty could be implemented before March 2027.
He described the breakthrough in negotiations as a “milestone” after years of stalled discussions between the two sides, noting that while negotiations had remained frozen for years, discussions moved rapidly once both sides returned to the table.
“After having put it off the deep freeze, I would say it was quite quickly negotiated,” he said.
According to Ackermann, the agreement is now moving through legal scrutiny and translation processes across the European Union before heading for parliamentary approval.
“If my optimistic forecast is correct, I would say we see the FTA implemented before the end of the fiscal year of India… end of March 2027,” he said.
Alongside the FTA, Ackermann highlighted the broader expansion of India-Germany ties across trade, mobility, sustainability and education. Calling business ties the “classical relation” between the two countries, he pointed out that bilateral trade in goods and services has now crossed $50 billion.
“We have seen more and more German companies investing in India, but also Indian companies investing in Germany,” he said.
He also highlighted the growing movement of Indian students and professionals to Germany under the bilateral mobility partnership.
“We have a little over three lakh Indians in Germany, and they have been so far a very valuable contribution to our society,” Ackermann said.
German universities and industries, he added, are increasingly looking towards India for skilled talent, particularly in engineering, mathematics, IT and economics.
At the same time, the ambassador advised Indian students to carefully verify institutions and visa agencies before applying.
“You have to be very careful which university you choose,” he said, cautioning against expensive private institutions that may not offer recognised German qualifications.
Ackermann also pointed to the India-Germany Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development as another key pillar of cooperation.
“It is a very successful partnership because it is so concrete and we define these projects together with the Indian side,” he said.
The partnership includes collaboration on climate adaptation, sustainable transport and cleaner energy systems in Indian cities.
As India and Germany celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year, the envoy said the relationship is becoming increasingly broad-based and future-oriented, driven by economic cooperation, people-to-people ties and shared sustainability goals.
