LARGE ECONOMIC SCALEWork on the FTA first started in 2007 but stalled repeatedly over issues such as automobiles, agriculture, wine and spirits, and data rules. Negotiations picked up momentum from 2022, backed by strong political will on both sides. It brings together some of the world’s largest economies, including India – the fifth biggest globally – and major EU members such as Germany, France and Italy, which are ranked third, seventh and eighth, respectively. Together, India and the EU make up a combined market worth around US$25 trillion encompassing nearly two billion people. The FTA will be India’s largest to date and the EU’s second biggest after the US.