Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Doha on October 6–7 to co-chair the India-Qatar Joint Commission on Trade and Commerce, alongside Qatar’s Commerce Minister Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani.
The visit underscores India’s focus on strengthening trade and investment ties with Qatar, a key Gulf Cooperation Council trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding USD 14 billion in 2024–25.
Goyal, accompanied by senior officials from multiple ministries, is expected to review bilateral trade performance, discuss trade barriers and non-tariff issues, and explore opportunities to enhance trade and investment flows. Talks are likely to include deliberations on the proposed India-Qatar Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and finalizing the Terms of Reference for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
A business delegation consisting of senior representatives of industries will accompany the Union Minister for the first meeting of the India Qatar Joint Business Council. The business delegation will also be actively engaging with Qatari businesses and entities, including Qatar Chamber, Qatar Financial Centre, Invest Qatar and Qatar Free Zones Authority.
The India-Qatar JWG on Trade and Commerce, which held its first meeting at the Joint Secretary level in July 2024, was upgraded to the Joint Commission on Trade and Commerce during the Amir of Qatar’s visit to India in February 2025. Both sides had recognized trade as a key pillar of bilateral cooperation and agreed to elevate the JWG to ministerial level.
