The first British application to join the European Economic Community (EEC) in July 1961 came at a time when India confronted an acute foreign exchange crisis and chronic trade deficits and when it was heavily dependent on the UK as a major market. Unlike the widely held belief, this article argues that India engaged Community institutions in a proactive and calibrated manner from the outset till de Gaulle vetoed British membership in January 1963. It highlights the crucial role of the Indian Mission in Brussels and its first ambassador to EEC in efforts to seek redressal of Indian concerns and secure a viable trade arrangement with the Community.

1961年7月，英国首次提出加入欧洲经济共同体（EEC）的申请，当时印度面临着严重的外汇危机和长期的贸易逆差，并且印度严重依赖英国作为主要市场。与普遍持有的信念不同，本文认为，印度从一开始到戴高乐否决英国成员资格之前，都积极主动地与社区机构进行接触，直到1963年1月否决了英国成员身份。它着重强调了印度驻布鲁塞尔使团及其首位驻欧共体大使的关键作用努力纠正印度的关切并确保与欧共体的可行贸易安排。