After nearly two decades of on-and-off negotiations, India and the European Union appear to be on the cusp of sealing a comprehensive free trade agreement, a development shaped as much by geopolitics as by commerce. The long-pending India–EU FTA is close to finalisation, with a formal announcement expected around the India–EU Summit later this month as New Delhi prepares to host the European Union’s top leadership for India’s 77th Republic Day celebrations and the 16th India–EU Summit on January 27.