‘EU FTA Not Only For Make In India, But Make With Europe and India’: Swedish Envoy At Rising Bharat
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Last Updated:February 27, 2026, 20:21 IST
Swedish ambassador to India Jan Thesleff said the India-EU free trade agreement should be seen as more than a trade deal because it is a broader signal of growing together
resetRapid ReadRapid ReadSummarized by AI.+India-EU FTA seen as a signal of joint growth, not just tradeDeal covers 97 percent of goods traded between India and EUAmbassadors highlight FTA as a major step for free trade More Rapid Read Like this summary?Share Your Feedback
Swedish ambassador to India Jan Thesleff on Friday lauded the India-EU free trade agreement, which took place earlier this year, and said it sends out a signal to the world for not only “make in India, but make with India and Europe".
Thesleff said the India-EU free trade agreement (FTA) should be seen as more than a trade deal because it is a broader signal of growing together.
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“We should not only see it as a trade agreement, even though we call it the FTA because it’s a signal when it comes to investment, a signal when it comes to engaging with one another, a signal to develop together – not only make in India but make with India, make with Europe," Thesleff said during the session on ‘Mothering a Partnership: The India-EU Power Couple’ at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit.
Watch Rising Bharat Summit 2026 LIVE Updates Here
He said the India-EU FTA covers almost 97 percent goods traded between the both sides. Talking about how it will benefit Sweden, he said it is for those for whom the barriers were earlier too high or the entrance ticket too expensive.
“With the free trade agreement, with what it brings, you lower the barriers and I think that’s why we will see big growth and change. SMEs, middle-sized companies – those are the ones that create the jobs, those are the ones that create growth. We’ll see it in India and for sure see it in Sweden," he added.
‘WON’T BE SO SURE INDIA-US TRADE DEAL IS FATHER OF ALL DEALS’
The India-EU free trade agreement (FTA), dubbed the “mother of all deals" by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, was followed up by the India-US trade deal that was described as the “father of all deals". The difference, however, is that the India-EU FTA was extremely comprehensive representing one-fourth of the global economy.
This was better elaborated by German ambassador to India Dr Philipp Ackermann, who said the major difference between India’s deals with European Union and the United States is that the former is an FTA. This shows, he said, that both sides in the agreement are “believers and promoters of free trade".
“I’d like to say that the difference between the trade deals with the United States and Europe is that the deal with US is not a free trade deal whereas with Europe you have a free trade deal and I think that commitment, the conviction that you are promoters and believers in free trade," Ackermann said, when asked how he rates the FTA with India at a time when the EU’s relations with the US have deteriorated.
He said the India-EU FTA cannot be underestimated as it brings together an “enormous market" of 450 million Europeans and 1.4 billion Indians.
“This is, you know, a clear signal to the world, a message to the world that we are the promoters of and believers in free trade. And, therefore, the mother of all deals…it is not wrong but the deal with the US is the father of all deals, I would not be so sure," he added.
‘INDIA-EU FTA CREATES A BIGGER ECOSYSTEM’
While the India-EU FTA will get formally ratified and fully implemented next year, the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) is operational.
The European Free Trade Association has Norway, Switzerland, Leichtenstein, and Iceland — four non-EU countries. Asked about the trade agreement’s impact on Norway and India, Norwegian ambassador to India May-Elin Stener said it is a milestone for her country’s relationship with India.
“We entered into the EFTA in October last year. So, it’s already in force. The EFTA is a group, for those who don’t know, of four countries – Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland – four small countries not part of the EU but all rich countries and altogether big economies. And for Norway, this trade and economic partnership agreement is a milestone in the relationship to India for sure," Stener said.
She said like the EU FTA, the TEPA is not simply a deal between two sides but has commitment from the EFTA countries to promote investment.
“So this is very important to us. Let me also say though, I am sitting here with my German and Swedish colleague. Sweden is our neighbouring country and Germany is the biggest market Norway is exporting to, 66% of Norwegian products are going to the EU, therefore, the FTA with India is important for Norway as well. And a lot of the things, we are selling to other countries outside Europe, they are being designed in Norway and produced in another European country. So it’s a bigger ecosystem and works well together," she added.
NEWS18 RISING BHARAT SUMMIT
Positioned at a pivotal moment in India’s growth journey, the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026 brings together top national leadership and international delegates at Bharat Mandapam on February 27 and 28.
Anchored in the theme, ‘Strength Within’, the summit stands as one of the country’s largest platforms where governance, economic ambition, and strategic thinking converge, reflecting India’s expanding influence in global conversations.
Over the years, the Rising Bharat platform has evolved into a credible venue for substantive policy dialogue, and the 2026 edition signals sharper engagement around the ideas shaping India’s next phase of progress. The theme salutes the collective strength within every citizen-the power that drives innovation, sustains democracy, India as a leading light on the world stage.
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