Mumbai, Oct. 5 -- India and Qatar have agreed to accelerate engagement on a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), while advancing Qatar's $10 bn investment commitment and plans to establish a Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) office in India.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held discussions with Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, on the sidelines of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank's 2026 Annual Meeting in Doha, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Qatar highlighted investment opportunities in India's ports, airports, highways and power sectors. Indian companies were also encouraged to explore opportunities in Qatar across food security, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, education, healthcare and start-ups.
The two sides discussed implementation of the Qatari investment commitment and establishment of the QIA office in India. They also agreed to intensify work towards completing the BIT and advancing FTA negotiations. Sitharaman stressed the need to restore normal trade between India, Qatar and other Gulf countries, including through unimpeded maritime navigation and commerce in the Strait of Hormuz.
At a separate Qatari Businessmen Association roundtable in Doha, the Indian delegation presented the country's economic growth and investment potential. India's real GDP growth accelerated to 7.8 per cent in Q1 of FY26, while investment growth stood at 11.9 per cent, demonstrating resilience amid global uncertainty.
The Ministry said India's long-term issuer rating was recently upgraded by Japan Credit Rating from BBB+ to A-. It also said India recorded its highest annual gross foreign direct investment inflow at $94.53 bn in FY26, the strongest figure in 15 years. Sitharaman urged Qatari businesses to examine trade and investment partnerships with India to deepen bilateral economic ties.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.