Minister of Commerce and Industry H E Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al-Thani and Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India H E Piyush Goyal during the signing ceremony.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar and India reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties during the Qatar–India Business Council meetings held in Doha yesterday.
The discussions underscored the growing momentum in economic cooperation following the elevation of relations between the two nations through a strategic partnership earlier this year.
The event witnessed the participation of Minister of Commerce and Industry, H E Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al-Thani; Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India, H E Piyush Goyal; Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, H E Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed; Chairman of Qatar Chamber, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani; and the Ambassador of India to the State of Qatar, H E Vipul, along with other business representatives from Qatar and India.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Commerce and Industry highlighted that the convening of the Qatar–India Business Council marks an important milestone in advancing economic cooperation between the two countries. He noted that the outcomes of H H the Amir’s visit to India earlier this year had further strengthened the bilateral partnership and opened new avenues for collaboration.
Minister Sheikh Faisal highlighted that India is Qatar’s third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing QR48bn ($13.1bn) in 2024. He pointed to Qatar’s continued progress in global economic rankings, citing the country’s 9th position in the Global Competitiveness Report 2025 as a reflection of its strong economic resilience and supportive business environment. He also outlined the objectives of Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy (2024–2030), which aims to build a diversified and innovation-driven economy focused on sustainability and low-carbon industries.
He explained that the strategy prioritises sectors such as manufacturing, information technology, digital and financial services, agriculture, healthcare, and real estate, all of which present promising opportunities for Qatar–India cooperation. To support these ambitions, Qatar plans to introduce key policy reforms and attract over $100bn in investment across priority sectors by 2030.
The Minister further remarked on Qatar’s global leadership in the energy sector and expressed confidence that the nation’s strategic vision will foster deeper partnerships with India across a broad range of industries.
On the other hand, the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry underlined that the visit of H H the Amir of Qatar to India in February marked a “turning point” in bilateral relations. “With the elevation of our ties to a strategic partnership, the stage is now set to take our trade relationship to much greater heights,” he said.
Additionally, Minister Goyal expressed optimism about the progress made through joint mechanisms such as the Qatar–India Joint Business Council and the Joint Commission on Economic and Commercial Cooperation, describing them as “important assets” for continuous dialogue and partnership. He said ongoing discussions with his Qatari counterpart were focused on identifying new investment and trade opportunities, particularly in sectors including agriculture, food processing, pharmaceuticals, data centers, and technology.
“India today stands as the fastest-growing large economy in the world, even amidst global economic turbulence. Our partnership with Qatar is built on mutual trust and respect, and 2025 will be a defining year in our trade and investment relationship,” he added.
Both sides reiterated their shared commitment to expanding trade, encouraging cross-border investment, and developing long-term partnerships.
