• Formal signing to take six months, says Indian govt official. 
• Says implementation of deal expected within a year.
• Trade between two sides stands at $136.5bn in fiscal year 2025.

India and the European Union have concluded negotiations on a long-coveted trade deal that will be announced on Tuesday, the South Asian nation’s trade secretary said on Monday, an accord both sides hailed as historic as they contend with strained US ties.

The deal paves the way for free trade of goods between the bloc of 27 European nations and India, which together make up a quarter of the world’s gross domestic product and a market of 2 billion consumers.

“It will be a balanced, forward-looking deal for better economic integration with the EU. The deal will propel trade and investment between both sides,” said India Trade Secretary Rajesh Agrawal.

Trade between the two sides stood at $136.5 billion in the fiscal year through March 2025.

Flurry of trade deals

The formal signing would take place after legal vetting expected to last five to six months, an Indian government official aware of the matter said.

“We expect the deal to be implemented within a year,” the official added.

The agreement comes days after the EU signed a pivotal pact with the South American bloc Mercosur, following deals last year with Indonesia, Mexico and Switzerland.

During the same period, New Delhi finalised agreements with Britain, New Zealand and Oman.

The spate of deals underscores global efforts to hedge against the United States as President Donald Trump’s bid to take over Greenland and tariff threats on European countries test longstanding alliances among Western nations.

After nearly two decades of on-off negotiations, the deal will see India open up its vast and guarded market, the world’s largest, to free trade with the EU, its biggest trading partner.

Fast-track talks agreed last year

India and the EU pushed to close the deal after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to fast-track negotiations last year.

Two-way talks, relaunched in 2022 after a nine-year lull, gathered momentum after Trump imposed import tariffs on several trading partners, including a 50% tariff on goods from India.

An India-US trade deal collapsed last year after a breakdown in communication between their two governments.

Both the EU and India had been locked in last-minute give and take over cars and steel trade, among the final points of contention.

The EU had sought sharp cuts by India in import duties on its cars that can exceed 100%, while India – a major steel producer – has been pushing the EU to reduce trade curbs to its steel exports.

Reuters reported on Sunday that India was planning to slash tariffs on cars imported from the EU to 40% from as high as 110% as part of the deal.

Negotiations excluded some sensitive farm and dairy items, as New Delhi maintains the need to protect millions of subsistence farmers.

Ellen DeGeneres is pushing back against a lawsuit tied to a 2023 California car crash, arguing that she was never properly served legal papers despite claims from the woman suing her. 

The dispute centers on whether DeGeneres legally received notice of the case, which accuses her of causing a traffic accident that resulted in injuries.

According to court documents dated January 21 and obtained by Us Weekly, DeGeneres’ legal team states that the paperwork was not delivered to her home or personal place of business. 

The filing explains that documents were left on December 23, 2025, at the receptionist desk of Neuman + Associates, a business management firm. 

The response makes clear that the location “is not Ms. DeGeneres’ dwelling house, usual place of abode, or usual place of business,” and adds that she was not there at the time.

The woman bringing the lawsuit has claimed that a process server also attempted to deliver the documents at NKSFB, LLC on January 6 and January 7, leaving them with an “Employee/Security Guard.” Neuman + Associates is a division of NKSFB. 

DeGeneres’ response strongly disputes that this counts as proper service, stating, “There was no reason to believe Ms. DeGeneres would be there at all, and specially not on those two random days in January.” 

The filing further argues, “It should be reasonably apparent to anyone, especially a process server, that a security guard at a 20-story building is not ‘in charge’ of a business on the fifth floor of that building.”

The documents also note that it would be “extremely unlikely” that the employee involved would have any direct relationship with DeGeneres or be expected to reliably deliver sensitive legal papers to her.

Harley Neuman, who heads Neuman + Associates and serves on the board of the Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund, also submitted a statement supporting DeGeneres’ claim. 

In documents dated January 21, he said, “I have a business relationship, through Neuman + and am generally familiar with Ms. DeGeneres’ business operations and personal living situation.” 

While he acknowledged that documents were left at the office, Neuman said DeGeneres was not present at the time. 

He added that there was no interaction with the process server, no explanation of what the documents contained, and no signed acknowledgment of receipt. 

He also said he is not aware of any copy of the summons and complaint being mailed to the office.

The lawsuit itself was filed in September 2025. 

The woman suing DeGeneres alleges that the former talk show host ran a stop sign and hit her Tesla in Santa Barbara County in October 2023.

She is accusing DeGeneres of negligence and claims she was injured in the crash. The plaintiff is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

DeGeneres, who turned 68 on January 26, currently lives in the U.K. with her wife, Portia de Rossi, after relocating in 2024. The court date for the case is scheduled for April 30.