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.

Von der Leyen said during a New Delhi visit that the bloc was considering a defense and security partnership with India. The EU is aiming to achieve a free trade agreement with New Delhi ahead of possible US tariffs.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in an attempt to revive and expand economic ties. The return of Donald Trump to the White House, tensions with China and economic sanctions on Russia have prompted Brussels to push for deeper trading ties with other economies.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen emphasised the need to strengthen the security and defense partnership with India, advocating for an ambitious trade agreement that could be the larg

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,

Highlighting the need to bolster cooperation between new Delhi and Brussels in the areas of digital technology, Artificial Intelligence and defence, EU President Ursula von der Leyen termed India as a "pillar of certainty" for Europe in an "increasingly uncertain world".