India and the EU have finished their fourth round of negotiations for a potential trade deal

In an effort to further solidify their economic relations, India and the European Union (EU) wrapped up the fourth round of negotiations for a comprehensive free trade deal on Saturday in Brussels.

The next round of negotiations is scheduled for June 12–16.

After a break of more than eight years, discussions on the proposed accords on trade, investments, and Geographical Indications were restarted by India and the 27-nation bloc on June 17 of last year (GI).

Round 4 of the India EU-FTA discussions was place in Brussels, according to a tweet from Nidhi Mani Tripathi, Joint Secretary for Commerce. She is the lead negotiator for India on the deal.

India had initiated discussions for a trade treaty with the EU in 2007 but the talks froze in 2013 as both parties failed to reach an agreement on crucial concerns, including customs taxes on vehicles and spirits and the mobility of professionals.

In 2021–22, India's goods exports to EU members were over USD 65 billion, while its total imports were USD 51.4 billion.

A GI is generally a produced product (handicrafts and industrial items), an agricultural product, or a natural product that comes from a certain geographic region. Such a name often carries a guarantee of quality and originality, which is mostly attributed to the location of its origin.