INDIA–EUROPE RELATIONS: BALANCE BETWEEN TRADE AND HUMAN RIGHTS

This Research paper examines the evolving India–Europe relationship through the twin lenses of economic interdependence and normative tensions over human rights. It maps trade and investment dynamics that have brought the European Union (EU) and India closer including intensified Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and rising bilateral commerce and adjoining these with recurrent EU concerns about civil liberties, rule of law, and human-rights governance in India. Using a policy-document and media-content analysis of official statements, NGO communities, and major press coverage between 2021–2025, the research paper identifies the institutional instruments, political incentives, and friction points shaping a pragmatic but uneasy partnership. It argues that while material incentives (market access, technology, green transition cooperation) have strengthened strategic alignment, unresolved regulatory (CBAM, Deforestation Regulation, Foreign Subsidies Regulation) and normative frictions mean that the EU’s human-rights leverage will remain limited and conditional effective mostly where reputational costs and legislative instruments intersect. The Research paper concludes with policy recommendations for both sides to manage tensions while preserving a mutually beneficial strategic partnership.