The director of Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) has said that the Ibec group is "naturally disappointed" that there will be no improved access for dairy products to India under a new trade deal between the country and the EU.

The EU and India have concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), the largest such deal ever concluded by either side.

The EU and India already trade over €180 billion worth of goods and services per year, which it thought to support some 800,000 jobs in the EU.

This deal is expected to double EU goods exports to India by 2032 by eliminating or reducing tariffs which could save around €4 billion per year in duties on EU products.

However, EU and Irish dairy products will not be included among these.

DII said it noted that conclusion of the trade deal agreement and the European Commission's confirmation that there are no initial market-opening opportunities for Irish dairy or specialised nutrition.

Existing high Indian tariffs on cheese, powders, and dairy-based nutritional products remain unchanged, and there has no been no movement on sanitary, technical or approval requirements, DII said.

According to the Ibec body, India treated dairy as a highly sensitive sector throughout the trade negotiations, and no concessions were offered.

Conor Mulvihill, director of DII, said: "We are naturally disappointed that the agreement does not, at this stage, deliver improved access for Ireland's world-class dairy and specialised nutrition sectors.

"This comes at a time when Irish dairy continues to perform strongly globally, with exports reaching record levels in 2025," Mulvihill added.

However, he added that DII remains positive about the long-term opportunity that deeper engagement with India - the world's most populous country - presents, despite the lack of gains for dairy.

"India is a strategically important market with growing demand for high-quality food and nutrition products, and the new EU-India cooperation structures provide a foundation for progress over time," the DII director said.

Mulvihill said that DII will work with partners in Ireland, the EU and India to "ensure the potential of this relationship is fully realised and that future phases of engagement secure meaningful opportunities for Irish dairy and specialised nutrition exporters".

"We will also continue to monitor developments as detailed market access schedules and legal texts are released, and seek opportunities for our industry in this key and developing market," he added.