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In the ATIPIC community, we talk often about growth.
Not about slogans, but about concrete steps, favorable contexts, and decisions that show over years, not in posts.
That's why, for me, the European Union's trade agreements aren't political news, but economic tools. And the new EU-India Free Trade Agreement is one of those tools that can change real trajectories for Romanian brands.
A clear example: Cotnari.
Why India matters more than it seems
Until recently, EU exports to India represented approximately 0.6% of total European exports. Not because European products weren't wanted, but because access was limited by extremely high tariffs.
In the case of European wine, tariffs reached 150%.
A level that turned any discussion about the Indian market into a theoretical exercise.
Under the new trade agreement:
- wine tariffs drop to 20%,
- in other categories they even reach zero,
- and the market becomes, for the first time, realistically accessible.
We're talking about 1.45 billion consumers.
Not as an abstraction, but as concrete economic potential.
What this means for Cotnari
Cotnari isn't an "opportunity" brand.
It's a brand of continuity, of tradition, of long-term building.
In a stable European context:
- the identity of Romanian wine gains international visibility,
- quality standards become an advantage, not a burden,
- and the story of post-phylloxera wine, anchored in terroir and history, can be told in markets it previously had no access to.
The EU-India Agreement doesn't promise overnight sales.
It promises the fair chance to compete..
Community, leadership, and growth together
In ATIPIC, we talk a lot about the fact that no one grows alone..
Not the entrepreneurs, not the brands, not the communities.
The presence of Victor Deleanu alongside the ATIPIC community is, for me, exactly about that:C is, for me, exactly about that: about people who understand that healthy development happens together, with openness, dialogue, and long-term vision.
Cotnari, ATIPIC, the local entrepreneurial community, and the European context aren't separate elements. They're parts of the same ecosystem that's starting to function maturely..
The Real Question
I often hear the question:
"Why do we need the EU?"
The answer isn't ideological. It's practical.
How could Romania have negotiated an agreement like this with India alone?
How could a Romanian producer have obtained tariff cuts from 150% to 20%, without the strength of a common market?
For regional brands that want to play the long game, the answer is clear:
Europe isn't a limitation. It's the multiplier.
We Grow Together
In ATIPIC, we believe in organic growth, in real partnerships, and in contexts that give fair chances to those who build seriously.
Cotnari is an example of a brand that can turn a European agreement into a genuine commercial advantage.
And entrepreneurial communities are where these opportunities begin to be understood, discussed, and capitalized on.
Not separately.
Not isolated.
But together.
—
Andrei Ungureanu
President of ATIPIC | EU Trade Champion
Connecting people and ideas for success.
