How Are India and Qatar Strengthening Their Trade and Investment Relations?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Piyush Goyal and Sheikh Faisal Al Thani met to enhance trade and investment.
- Commitment to strengthen India-Qatar relations.
- Investment opportunities in multiple sectors.
- Discussion on Qatar's $10 billion investment in India.
- Focus on economic collaboration for mutual benefits.
Doha, Oct 6 (NationPress) India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal engaged in a highly productive meeting with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani on Monday, aimed at enhancing the trade and investment relationship between the two nations.
“We explored avenues to boost India-Qatar bilateral trade and reiterated our dedication to fortifying our multifaceted partnership in trade, investment, and strategic collaboration, thereby creating vast opportunities for enhanced cooperation,” Piyush Goyal shared on X.
Goyal co-chaired the India-Qatar Ministerial Joint Commission on Economic and Commercial Cooperation alongside H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry.
“Both parties affirmed their commitment to deepening the India-Qatar partnership by building on our solid bilateral trade. We also agreed to further intensify efforts to attain the trade and investment objectives set by our leaders during His Highness the Amir of Qatar’s visit to India in February this year,” Goyal added.
During his two-day visit to Qatar, Goyal also addressed the inaugural session of the India-Qatar Joint Business Council, alongside Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani.
“I urged businesses from both nations to leverage our strategic partnership and cultural ties to further enhance India-Qatar economic relations, emphasizing how our resilient economies can create greater synergies across various sectors for mutual growth and prosperity,” the Indian minister stated.
Additionally, Goyal met with Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al-Thani, the Governor of the Qatar Central Bank and Chairman of the Qatar Investment Authority & the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority.
The minister reported productive discussions focused on enhancing trade, investment, and financial cooperation between India and Qatar.
Earlier, on August 28, India and Qatar convened a high-level meeting in Delhi to discuss opportunities for boosting Qatari investments in India, particularly in sectors such as infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, transport, logistics, food processing, health, semiconductors, and finance.
The discussions aimed to advance Qatar’s commitment to invest $10 billion and establish an office for the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) in India, as announced during the Amir of Qatar’s state visit to India in February 2025.
In this context, both nations decided to foster further discussions regarding investments from QIA and other Qatari entities, targeting key sectors and specific projects and companies. The Qatari side expressed interest in various investment opportunities in India, given the country’s economic growth and technological advancements.
The QIA has invested in various sectors across India, including retail, utilities, media, housing, healthcare, and real estate. Furthermore, the Indian community in Qatar has made significant investments in the Qatari market, particularly within the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector.