While the European Union hails its freshly inked Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India as a “historic milestone” for economic prosperity and resilience, Indian officials are placing significant emphasis on the deal’s mobility provisions.
It is particularly focused on the commitment to uncapped access for Indian students to study and work across EU member states.
The comprehensive FTA, concluded after years of negotiations and announced at the 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi today, covers tariff reductions on moree than 90 per cent of goods, enhanced services access, investment protections and sustainability commitments.
Brussels framed the signing of the deal as “a momentous day” and proof of its commitment to economic growth and international cooperation, especially in the light of a much more hawkish US that is moving away from globalism.
Possibly more polemic than Brussels’ persistent globalist streak, though, is the accompanying mobility framework to the trade deal that Indian sources have spotlighted as a key win, facilitating easier movement for students, researchers, professionals, and workers.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his press statement during the joint event with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, described the agreements as opening “new avenues for our youth and skilled professionals”.
Although the full transcript highlights broader co-operation, Indian media and government communications have amplified the mobility angle, portraying it as a boon for educational and career opportunities in Europe.
A standout provision is the EU’s pledge to “uncapped mobility for Indian students,” allowing unrestricted numbers to travel, study, and potentially work across the bloc’s 27 countries.
This includes streamlined access to programmes such as Erasmus+ and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, alongside initiatives to recognise qualifications and foster joint educational ventures.
The framework also establishes the first “European Legal Gateway Office” in India, serving as a one-stop hub to guide applicants on legal pathways for mobility, initially focusing on sectors such as information and communications technology.
Von der Leyen, addressing the summit in India, acknowledged the mobility pact’s role in talent exchange. “Signing an agreement on mobility, we will facilitate the movement of students, researchers,” she stated.
“It will be a one-stop hub to support Indian talent, moving to Europe in full alignment with your member states’ needs and policies.”
She further linked it to technological collaboration, noting: “Artificial intelligence is one of the best examples. So today, I’m glad to announce that we are working on India’s association with Horizon Europe.
“Horizon is the world’s largest public research program, and I can’t wait for our best talents to get to work, to advance health, clean energy, frontier technologies.”
We are launching the first EU legal gateway office in India. It will be a one-stop hub to support Indian talent moving to Europe: EU President @vonderleyen#IndiaEUTradeDeal pic.twitter.com/ANuoJdCC3K
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) January 27, 2026
In contrast, EU communications have buried mobility details deeper within broader strategic agendas.
The EC’s statement on the “Towards 2030: A Joint India-European Union Comprehensive Strategic Agenda” positions mobility under “enablers,” emphasising economic pillars such as trade liberalisation, supply chain resilience and clean energy transitions first.
While it commits to supporting “mutually beneficial skills and talent mobility” and countering irregular migration, the focus remains on aligning with member states’ policies and addressing labour shortages selectively.
Pre-existing trends show Indian migration to the EU growing.
For example, Indian nationals in Germany rose from some 86,000 in 2015 to about 280,000 in 2025, driven by skilled STEM roles, students and Blue Card schemes.
This pattern is reflected across the bloc.
By 2021, more than 600,000 Indian citizens were legally residing in the EU, and in 2022 alone, EU member states issued more than 180,000 first residence permits to Indian nationals, making them one of the largest non-EU migrant groups.
Indians have also become the single largest recipients of EU Blue Cards for highly skilled workers.
These trends intersect with longer-term demographic projections.
India is expected to produce a substantial surplus of high-skilled workers over the coming decade, estimated by some ILO-linked labour-market studies at up to 245 million by 2030. That positions it as a major potential source of skilled labour for ageing European societies facing persistent workforce gaps.
These developments also resonate with themes found in earlier cultural and political literature on migration.
In Le Camp des Saints (1973), the French novel by Jean Raspail that has become a reference point in anti-immigration discourse, Europe is depicted as being overwhelmed by mass migration originating from the Indian subcontinent.
In the novel, migrants from India play a central role in the fictional demographic takeover of Europe. The book is frequently cited in contemporary debates on migration and demographic change
