Over the past year, Europe–India relations have entered a markedly upbeat phase. What was once a diffuse partnership—long on rhetoric, short on strategy—now looks far more purposeful. 

From the announcement on a long-delayed EU-India Free Trade Agreement to expanding cooperation on security, technology, and migration, Europe and India appear to be—finally—converging around a shared strategic logic.

To unpack what’s driving this convergence—and where its limits lie—Milan is joined on the show this week by Garima Mohan. Garima is a senior fellow in the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund based in Brussels. In this capacity, she leads GMF’s work on India and serves as convenor of the India Trilateral Forum. 

Her research focuses on Europe-India ties, EU foreign policy in Asia, and security in the Indo-Pacific. She’s also the author of a new GMF report titled, “A Long Time Coming: Europe and India have discovered a strategic partnership,” published in January 2026.

Milan and Garima discuss the geopolitical drivers that are bringing the EU and India closer together, Europe’s views on the limits to India’s potential, and the key takeaways from the EU-India FTA. Plus, the two discuss how Russia might derail Indo-European security cooperation and the urgent need for Europe to invest in India expertise.

Episode notes:

1.     “Europe’s long-awaited free-trade deal with India,” The Economist, January 25, 2026.

2.     Garima Mohan, “As Trump takes Office, Planets Align for the EU and India,” India’s World, March 6, 2025.

3.     “Can Europe be India's Plan B? (with James Crabtree),” Grand Tamasha, September 17, 2025.

4.     “India and the Reordering of Transatlantic Relations (with Tara Varma),” Grand Tamasha, March 11, 2025.

5.     “Mr. Modi Goes to Europe (with Garima Mohan),” Grand Tamasha, May 11, 2022.