Fresh from signing a “historic” trade deal with India, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen declares that Brussels and New Delhi are no longer just trading partners, but investors in each other’s future. The European Commission chief said that Europe and India’s complementary strengths—and sheer combined scale—can now shape global rules on trade, tech and green growth. With China watching, Washington recalculating and the Global South taking notes, this pact could redefine who sets the terms of globalization. Is an EU–India power tandem the world’s next big economic story?