President of the European Council António Luís Santos da Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will be on a state visit to India from 25 to 27 January as Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations, it was officially announced here on Thursday.
During the visit, the leaders will also co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit on 27 January, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
The visit comes at a time when India and the EU are giving final touches to their much-anticipated Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
During the visit, President Costa and President von der Leyen will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An India-EU Business Forum is also expected to be organised on the sidelines of the India-EU Summit.
The President of the European Council, António Luís Santos da Costa and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen will be on a State Visit to India from 25-27 January 2026 as Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations. During the visit, the leaders… pic.twitter.com/jRAoKzw52H
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2026
India and the EU have been strategic partners since 2004. The 15th India-EU Summit was held virtually on 15 July 2020. Bilateral ties have expanded and deepened across a wide range of areas, particularly following the historic visit of EU College of Commissioners to India in February 2025.
‘’Participation of EU leaders as Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day and the 16th India-EU Summit will further deepen the India-EU Strategic Partnership and advance collaboration in priority areas of mutual interest,’’ the MEA added.