India and the European Union will try to seal a trade deal during this year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

India and the EU must take their strategic ties to the "next level" in an era of great power competition and geopolitical turmoils and the relationship has the potential to be one of the defining partnerships of this century,

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced India's advanced UPI digital payments system during her visit. She was impressed by its efficiency. PM Modi had earlier highlighted UPI's significance by comparing daily transactions in India to the EU's population.