Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: INDIA and Qatar can double their bilateral trade from the current $14 billion to $28 billion by 2030 by focusing on electronics, automobiles, pharma, processed food, textiles, gems and jewellery, IT and hightech industries, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said.
Union Minister Goyal co-chaired the Qatar-India Joint Commission on Economic and Commercial Cooperation with Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry of Qatar. The event focused on strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations, addressing existing trade barriers and non-tariff challenges, and identifying new opportunities to boost economic cooperation in key sectors.
Both sides reiterated their shared commitment to advancing an ambitious India-Qatar Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. They commended Qatar’s energy exports, including a long-term agreement to supply 7.5 million tonnes of LNG per year from 2028. Goyal stressed the need to boost India’s exports to Qatar.
In a post on the social media platform ‘X’, the Union Minister said, “Had a fruitful interaction with the Indian business delegation in Doha. Encouraged them to harness the full potential of our economic relationship and strengthen the partnership by leveraging transformative initiatives like Make in India and Startup India, thereby promoting shared prosperity between the two countries.”
A bilateral meeting of the Commerce and Industry Ministers of both sides was also held, during which the two ministers reviewed the overall trade and economic relations. Earlier, the Union Minister also participated in the launch event of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at Lulu Mall, Pearl Island, which is a significant milestone in India’s digital partnership with Qatar and will enable seamless digital transactions for the Indian diaspora and local consumers.
During his visit, Goyal called on Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing trade and investment cooperation under the strategic partnership established during the visit of Qatar’s Amir to India.
