India-EU goods trade totalled €118.4 billion in 2025, with EU imports from India amounting to €69.5 billion and exports to India at €48.9 billion. The scale of trade underscores the importance of expanding market access and investment opportunities as India and the EU pursue an FTA.
New Delhi: Commerce minister Piyush Goyal will be on a 6-day tour to Germany and the Netherlands starting 22 October to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties and expand industrial and technological cooperation.
Goyal will be accompanied by around 100 business executives during the visit, which will focus on exploring new opportunities for collaboration across manufacturing, clean technology, advanced engineering, information technology and other sectors, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
He will be in Germany from 22 October to 24 October, and in the Netherlands during 24-27 October.
In Germany, Goyal will participate in the Berlin Global Dialogue, where he will engage with international policymakers and global business leaders to highlight India's macroeconomic stability, manufacturing capabilities and role in building resilient global supply chains, according to the ministry statement.
On the sidelines of the event, he will hold bilateral meetings with Germany's federal minister for economic affairs and energy and the economic and financial policy advisor and G7/G20 Sherpa at the German Federal Chancellery. The discussions will cover bilateral trade and investment, technological and industrial cooperation, and market access and investment opportunities arising from the ongoing India-European Union free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.
India-EU goods trade totalled €118.4 billion in 2025, with EU imports from India amounting to €69.5 billion and exports to India at €48.9 billion, according to official data. The scale of trade underscores the importance of expanding market access and investment opportunities as India and the EU pursue a trade agreement.
G2G engagements
The minister will also lead government-to-government engagements in The Hague, where he is scheduled to meet the Netherlands' minister of economic affairs and climate and minister for foreign trade and development cooperation. The discussions will explore opportunities to expand trade channels and cooperation on green transition initiatives.
His engagements in the Netherlands will also include discussions with the King's Commissioner of North Holland and members of the Dutch parliament's committees on foreign trade and European affairs.
The accompanying Indian business delegation will participate in sectoral roundtables with German chief executives and Indian business representatives in Berlin. The discussions will cover automotive, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure and energy; information technology, artificial intelligence and services; agri-food, consumer goods and textiles; and healthcare, pharmaceuticals and wellness.
Investment roundtable
The delegation will also participate in an India-Germany Investment Roundtable with Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) on investment opportunities and establishing operations in Germany. It will interact with German innovation and research institutions and think tanks on industrial transformation, deep technology, microelectronics, skills development, and bilateral trade, investment and resilient supply chains.
As part of the Netherlands leg, the Indian business delegation will visit the Port of Rotterdam on 25 October to examine its logistics and supply chain infrastructure.
On 26 October, Goyal will address businesses from India and the Netherlands at the India-Netherlands Business Forum in The Hague, alongside the Dutch minister for foreign trade and development cooperation. The forum will be followed by six parallel sectoral roundtables and business-to-business networking sessions.
The roundtables will cover agri-food and food processing; high technology and innovation; sustainability and renewable energy; logistics and supply chain connectivity; manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and engineering goods; and services and allied sectors.
The visit comes as India and the European Union continue negotiations on a free trade agreement, with the ministry identifying potential market access and investment opportunities arising from the talks as one of the areas for discussion during Goyal's meetings in Germany.
About the Author
Harsh Kumar
Harsh Kumar is a policy reporter at Mint (HT Media Group), where he covers the Ministry of Commerce and Industry along with key departments of the Ministry of Finance, including the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and the Department of Financial Services (DFS). With over five years of experience in business and economic journalism, he has developed strong expertise in tracking policy developments and their wider economic impact.<br><br>He has previously worked with Business Standard, Moneycontrol, and Outlook Money, where he reported extensively on banking, financial services, and the broader economy. Over the years, he has built a reputation for delivering accurate, insightful, and impactful stories, supported by a keen eye for detail and a consistent track record of breaking exclusive news.<br><br>An alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia, Harsh closely follows regulatory changes and key economic trends shaping India’s financial and industrial landscape. His reporting aims to simplify complex policy issues for a wider audience while maintaining depth and credibility.<br><br>Outside of work, he enjoys tracking policy developments, finding scoops, and travelling, reflecting his curiosity about how economic decisions shape everyday life.