Hello and welcome to NewsHour from the BBC World Service.
Coming to you live from London, I'm Celia Hatton.
We're starting today with news of a mammoth trade deal between the European Union and India that could transform swathes of the global economy.
And it's been a long time coming.
A final agreement was settled after 20 years of talks.
Those involved say all that work was worth it.
India has the world's biggest population, and combined with the European bloc's 27 countries,
the deal forms a new trading zone affecting 2 billion people.
the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen marked the magnitude of the deal.
We did it.
We delivered the mother of all deals.
We are creating a market of two billion people, and this is the tale of two giants,
the world's second and fourth largest economies,
two giants who choose partnership in a true win-win fashion.
A strong message that cooperation is the best answer to global challenges.
And the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated two here he is speaking through a translator.
Friends, today India has concluded the largest ever free trade agreement in its history.
This historic agreement will make access to the European markets easier for our farmers and small businesses.
It will create new opportunities in manufacturing and will further strengthen cooperation between our service sectors.
Well, the timing of this deal is key, too.