Watch: Brussels & European capitals—how New Delhi is leveraging a two-tier strategy in Europe

Published on 18/05/2026 - 9:00 GMT+2

Months aft a historical EU Free Trade Agreement, this circuit executes that "mother of each deals" by balancing Brussels with idiosyncratic capitals.

Over the weekend, Modi met with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. The Netherlands is simply a cardinal trading spouse for India, with bilateral commercialized worthy astir €26bn ($28bn). The contiguous prize is simply a €10.2bn ($11bn) semiconductor woody betwixt Tata Electronics and Dutch steadfast ASML to physique a microchip works successful occidental India.

It is simply a textbook illustration of Europe's "China positive one" strategy, arsenic Western companies unreserved to diversify proviso chains distant from Beijing.

The absorption shifts to Sweden. Modi is gathering Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen astatine the European Round Table for Industry connected Monday, 18 May. While capitals similar Stockholm supply India with circumstantial tech, defence and greenish modulation deals, Brussels provides the regulatory alignment and tariff cuts needed for the European market.

On Tuesday, 19 May, helium attends the India-Nordic acme successful Oslo, engaging Nordic leaders connected cleanable vigor and Arctic shipping routes opened up by clime change.

This expansive circuit volition reason connected Wednesday, 20 May, successful Italy with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, wherever some leaders volition absorption connected maritime information and a associated enactment program for ineligible migration channels.

For European leaders facing slowing economies, rolling retired the reddish carpet is simply a strategical necessity. The world's astir populous federation becomes a geopolitical counterweight erstwhile Europe’s historical partners look away.

Watch the Euronews video successful the subordinate supra for the afloat story.