The Amir of Qatar, His Highness (HH) Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani visited India from February 17 to 18, 2025, at the invitation of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. This visit marked his 2nd bilateral trip to India, following his first official visit in March 2015. He was accompanied by high-level delegations, including Ministers, Senior Officials and a Business Delegation.
- During his visit, he engaged in significant discussions with Indian President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi(Delhi).
- As part of his visit, both countries signed several pivotal agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), ranging from strategic partnerships and economic cooperation to cultural and energy exchanges.
Highlights of the Visit:
India-Qatar Joint Business Forum:
i.On the sidelines of the visit, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), New Delhi (Delhi) in partnership with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) organized the ‘India-Qatar Joint Business Forum’ on February 18 2025 in New Delhi (Delhi).
ii.Key People: Union Minister, Piyush Vedprakash Goyal , MoC&I and His Excellency (HE) Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, State of Qatar and key leaders of both nations attended the forum.
iii.Union Minister Piyush Goyal reaffirmed India’s ambition to become a USD 30-35 trillion economy by 2047, aligning with the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision.
iv Bilateral Cooperation: Focused on discussions on collaboration beyond hydrocarbons, targeting sectors like Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and semiconductors.
v.Bilateral Trade Growth: India became Qatar’s 3rd largest trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing USD 15 billion in Financial Year 2023-24 (FY24).
- The 2 countries have seen an increase in investment flows, with Qatar ranking among the top 3 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) investors in India.
vi.Ecosystem Collaboration: Union Minister of State (MoS), Jitin Prasada, MoC&I invited Qatari businesses to participate in the Startup Mahakumbh 2025, an initiative to deepen collaborations in the tech and innovation space.
vii.Qatar’s Investment: Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) and Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) were identified as key pillars to attract global investments, while the Qatar Free Zone (QFZ) aims to drive investments across sectors.
Key Outcomes of the visit:
i.Elevation to Strategic Partnership: The bilateral relationship between India and Qatar was elevated to a Strategic Partnership, setting the stage for deeper cooperation across various sectors.
ii.Bilateral Mechanisms: Two Joint Ministerial Commissions were established at the levels of Foreign Ministers and MoC&I to facilitate closer cooperation.
iii.Trade and Investment:
- Qatar’s Investment Commitment: Qatar committed to investing USD 10 billion in India, focusing on key areas such as infrastructure, technology, manufacturing, food security, logistics, and hospitality.
- Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) Office : QIA announced plans to open an office in India.
- Bilateral Trade Target: Both nations set a target to double bilateral trade by 2030, reflecting their ambition for deeper economic integration.
- FTA: The two sides agreed to explore the possibility of an India-Qatar Free Trade Agreement (FTA). India and Qatar signed a strategic partnership agreement, enhancing ties in trade, investment, energy, and security.
- Operationalization of UPI: India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was operationalized at Qatar National Bank (QNB) Point of Sale systems in Qatar, further integrating financial systems.
- Expansion of Qatar National Bank: Qatar National Bank (QNB) will expand its presence in India by establishing an office in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) City,Gujarat (India).
iv.Other Initiatives:
- e-VISA Extension: India extended its electronic -Visitors International Stay Admission (e-VISA) facility for Qatari nationals, further facilitating ease of travel and enhancing people-to-people ties.
- Year of Culture, Friendship, and Sports: India and Qatar agreed to celebrate a ‘Year of Culture, Friendship, and Sports’ to foster closer cultural and sporting ties in the near future.
Note: Qatar is the largest supplier of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to India, accounting for over 40% of India’s global LNG imports
List of Agreements/MoUs Signed:
During the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani’s visit to India, Qatar and India signed two agreements and five MoUs.
i.Agreement on Establishment of Bilateral Strategic Partnership:India and Qatar agreed to explore the possibility of entering into a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with an aim to double bilateral trade to USD28 billion by 2030.
- PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and External Affairs Minister(EAM) S Jaishankar exchanged the agreement in New Delhi.
ii.Revised Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA): An updated agreement on tax matters between the 2 countries to enhance fiscal cooperation.
- PM of Qatar and Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance(MoF) exchanged the agreement at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
iii.MoU on Financial and Economic Cooperation: Signed between India’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Qatar’s Ministry of Finance to strengthen financial and economic collaboration.
iv.MoU for Cooperation in Youth and Sports: Signed between India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) and Qatar’s Ministry of Sports and Youth, focusing on youth development and sports collaboration.
v.MoU for Cooperation in Documents and Archives: Signed between New Delhi based National Archives of India(NAI) and Qatar’s National Archives, aimed at enhancing archival and document cooperation.
vi.MoU for Cooperation between Invest India and Invest Qatar: Signed between Nivruti Rai, Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of e National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India(Invest India), Sheikh Ali bin Alwaleed Al Thani, CEO of Invest Qatar to facilitate mutual investment opportunities and fostering bilateral economic growth.
vii.MoU between CII (India) and Qatari Businessmen Association(QBA) (Qatar): Promoting business collaboration and fostering stronger commercial ties between the private sectors of both nations.
About Qatar:
Prime Minister (PM)– Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
Capital– Doha
Currency– Qatari Riyal (QAR)
