EU and India set to successfully conclude major trade deal, says New Delhi

The leaders of India and the European Union are set to announce the “mother of all deals” on Tuesday, when they meet in New Delhi to formalize a huge trade pact reached after two decades of negotiations.

EU chiefs and Prime Minister Narendra Modi hope the pact, which Indian officials said was concluded Monday, will help shield against challenges from the world’s two leading economies, the United States and China.

“Official-level negotiations are being concluded and both sides are all set to announce the successful conclusion” of talks at the Tuesday summit, Indian commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said late Monday.