German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann said the planned India-European Union free trade agreement could reshape commercial ties between the two sides, calling it a "game changer" that would encourage more investment, easier market access and stronger business flows across borders. Speaking after a German Embassy press conference in New Delhi, he said the deal would likely deepen economic links between Europe and India while also making travel and business exchange more active in both directions.
Ackermann said lower tariffs and fewer trade barriers would do the heavy lifting by making it easier for companies to expand and invest. He added that the pact could lead to more German capital flowing into India and, potentially, more Indian investment into Germany, while also increasing visitor traffic between the two countries. His comments echoed remarks he has made in earlier interviews this year, when he described the agreement as a potential catalyst for German industry and a sign of the strategic importance Berlin places on closer ties with India.
The ambassador’s upbeat tone comes as New Delhi and Brussels continue to push for an early conclusion to the long-running negotiations. According to India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently met senior European leaders in Brussels and both sides reaffirmed their commitment to signing and implementing the deal as soon as possible. In January, during the EU-India summit in New Delhi, Ackermann also framed free trade as the preferable path for the relationship, saying German business circles were watching the talks closely.
A recent report by Rubix Data Science said the agreement could also help India redirect as much as $10 billion to $11 billion in exports away from the United States and toward the European Union, reducing dependence on one market while broadening its footprint in Europe. That prospect helps explain why the FTA has become more than a trade file: for India, it is a diversification strategy, and for Germany and the wider EU, it is a way to deepen access to one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies.
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