Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal is scheduled to visit Doha, Qatar, from October 6-7, 2025, to co-chair the Qatar-India Joint Commission Meeting on Trade and Commerce. This marks Goyal's first visit to Qatar as Union Minister. The meeting will be co-chaired by H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry of Qatar.
The visit underscores India's commitment to strengthening trade and investment ties with Qatar, a key partner in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Bilateral trade between the two countries is estimated at over $14 billion in the fiscal year 2024-25.
During the two-day meeting, the two sides are expected to hold wide-ranging discussions. These discussions will include reviewing bilateral trade performance, addressing existing trade barriers and non-tariff issues, and exploring avenues to enhance trade and investment flows. Cooperation in key sectors such as finance, agriculture, environment, tourism, culture, and healthcare will also be discussed. The aim is to deepen the multifaceted partnership between India and Qatar.
One of the key focuses of the meeting will be the proposed India-Qatar Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Discussions will likely cover the finalization of the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which is expected to further strengthen economic cooperation between both countries. India is likely to finalize the terms of reference for the proposed free trade agreement with Qatar in early October. The possibility of a CEPA with Doha was initially announced in February 2025 during the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's visit to India. During that visit, both sides agreed to elevate their partnership and double bilateral trade to $28 billion within five years.
A business delegation consisting of senior representatives of various industries will accompany Goyal for the first meeting of the India-Qatar Joint Business Council. The business delegation will actively engage with Qatari businesses and entities, including the Qatar Chamber, Qatar Financial Centre, Invest Qatar, and Qatar Free Zones Authority. Goyal is also scheduled to meet with other Qatari dignitaries and top businessmen from the Qatar Chamber and Qatari Businessmen Association. He will also engage with representatives of the Doha Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Indian Business and Professionals Council (IBPC), Qatar, as well as senior members of Qatari industries and the Indian community in Qatar.
In fiscal year 2024-25, India's bilateral trade with Qatar stood at $14.14 billion, with India's exports to Qatar at $1.68 billion and imports from Qatar at $12.46 billion. Qatar's key exports to India include LNG, LPG, chemicals, petrochemicals, fertilizers, plastics, and aluminum articles. India's key exports to Qatar include cereals, iron and steel articles, boilers, gems & jewellery, vehicles and their parts, inorganic chemicals, mineral fuels, electrical and other machinery, and plastic products. Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG and LPG to India. In February 2024, the two nations signed a long-term agreement worth US$ 78 billion to export 7.5 million tonnes of Qatar’s LNG to India annually for 20 years, starting 2028.
A recent analysis by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) suggested that joint ventures in energy infrastructure, technology collaboration, and cross-border investments could help reduce India's trade deficit with Qatar. Qatar has also announced plans to invest $10 billion in India in infrastructure, technology, manufacturing, food security, logistics, hospitality, and other sectors.
The visit is expected to further solidify the strategic partnership between India and Qatar, building on the strong foundation of historical commercial ties and people-to-people connections. The Indian community in Qatar, estimated to be around 800,000, strengthens people-to-people links and contributes significantly to India's remittance inflows.
