India says it wants to double exports to the European Union within three to four years once the India-EU Free Trade Agreement takes effect. The pact is still in EU legal review and could enter force by March 2027. Government officials plan high-level delegation visits and B2B meetings with all EU member states to push utilisation of the new market access. The trade deal comes with strings attached. India secured a 2.8 million tonne steel export quota, with shipments above that facing a 50% tariff. The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will also apply, so Indian exporters need approved verifiers to prove embedded emissions. New Delhi is asking the EU to fast-track six domestic verification bodies for CBAM compliance. For carbon market watchers, the CBAM angle matters more than the headline export target. The speed of verifier approval will determine whether Indian steel and other heavy industries can actually use the FTA. Exporters also need to raise capacity and meet EU product standards, which is a heavy lift over a three to four year window.
