India Qatar Bilateral Relations

India-Qatar Bilateral Relations

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            India-Qatar cooperation in diverse sectors has been steadily growing in an excellent framework provided by historically close ties and regular and substantive engagement, including at the highest levels of the two Governments. The large, diverse, accomplished and highly regarded Indian community is making an important contribution to Qatar's progress and in nurturing the bonds of deep-rooted friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries. During the recent visit of H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar to India, the relation between the two country was elevated to strategic partnership.

Political Relations

2. There have been regular high-level bilateral exchanges. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Qatar on 14-15 February, 2024. This was his second visit to Qatar. During the visit, he met H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. PM Modi’s visit provided an excellent opportunity for both sides to engage at the highest level, and impart fresh momentum to the bilateral ties. Earlier, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had paid a visit to Doha from 4-5 June, 2016 at the invitation of H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir. This was the highest- level visit from India to Qatar since the visit of former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh in November 2008.

3.   During the visit in 2016, PM Modi held extensive talks with H.H. the Amir and exchanged views on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern. Seven MoUs/ Agreements between the two sides were signed during PM’s visit, which includes (1) MoU for investment in National Investment and Infrastructure Fund of India; (2) MoU between Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND) and the Qatar Financial Information Unit (QFIU); (3) MoU for Cooperation in Skill Development and Recognition of Qualifications; (4) MoU for Cooperation in the field of Health; (5) Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Custom Matters; (6) MoU on Tourism Cooperation; and (7) First Executive Program for MoU in the field of Youth and Sports.

 

4.   Prime Minister Modi also met the Amir on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai on 01 December 2023 and discussed the potential of India-Qatar bilateral partnership and well-being of the Indian community in Qatar. The two leaders had also met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2019 in New York where they discussed bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual interest. On June 10, 2024 the Amir had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi and congratulated him on the election victory. They had also spoken on 29 October 2022 and discussed bilateral relations, and agreed to jointly celebrate the 50 years of India-Qatar diplomatic relations.

 

5.   Hon'ble Vice President of India (HVPI) Shri M Venkaiah Naidu paid an official visit to Qatar in June 2022. He met Prime Minister of Qatar H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, and Father Amir of Qatar H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Speaker of Shura Council of Qatar, called on HVPI. During the meetings both sides emphasized the historical relations between both the peoples, and ways to take bilateral relations to further heights. HVPI chaired an India-Qatar Business Forum in association with Qatari Businessmen Association & Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry during the visit. Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar also visited Doha in November 2022 and attended the inauguration ceremony of FIFA World Cup 2022. On the sidelines, HVPI met H.H. Amir Sheikh Tamim as well as a number of other world leaders.

 

6.   From Qatar, H.H. the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani recently paid a State Visit to India on February 17-18, 2025. During the visit, an Agreement for Establishment of Strategic Partnership between India and Qatar was signed. The Amir held bilateral talks with PM Modi and President Smt Droupadi Murmu. Vice President, External Affairs Minister and the Minister of Health called on the visiting Amir. A Joint Business Forum co-Chaired by the Ministers of Commerce and Industry of both countries was also held on February 18 in New Delhi and was attended by top businessmen of both the countries. Both sides agreed to further expand cooperation in areas like energy, power, petrochemicals, investments, infrastructure development, education, culture, health, IT, innovation and start-ups. Seven Agreements / MOUs were signed during the visit, in the following areas: (i) Establishment of Strategic Partnership; (ii) Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income; (iii) Financial and Economic Cooperation between the respective Ministry of Finance; (iv) Cooperation in the field of Youth Affairs and Sports; (v) Cooperation in the field of Documents and Archives; (vi) Cooperation between Invest India and Invest Qatar; and (vii) Cooperation between Confederation of Indian Industry and Qatar Business Association.

 

7.   Previously, the Amir of Qatar H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani had paid a State Visit to India in March 2015. Additionally, the then Amir H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani [now the Father Amir] had visited India in 1999, 2005 and 2012. The then Qatari PM Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani visited India in December 2016. During H.H. the Amir's visit to India in March, 2015, the two sides discussed ways and means to build a forward-looking partnership by further broadening and deepening the bilateral engagement and by better leveraging the existing complementarities between the two countries in key areas of mutual interest including inter alia, energy, power, petrochemicals, investments, infrastructure development, project exports, education, culture, health, human resource, media and information technology. Six Agreements / MOUs were signed during the visit, in the following areas: (i) Transfer of sentenced Persons; (ii) Mutual Cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, MEA and Diplomatic Institute, MFA; (iii) Cooperation in Information and Communication Technology; (iv) Cooperation in Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences; (v) Cooperation in Radio and Television; and (vi) Mutual Cooperation and Exchange of News between Qatar News Agency and United News Agency.

 

8.   Then Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Qatar, H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, undertook an official visit to India on 2-3 December 2016. During the visit, various Agreements/MOUs were signed, including the Agreement for Exemption of Visa Requirement for Holders of Diplomatic, Special and Official Passport Holders, and MoUs on Technical Cooperation in Cyber Space and Combating Cyber Crime; and between the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy of Qatar and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in addition to a Letter of Intent for e-visas for tourists and businessmen. Separately, an MoU between Qatar Ports Management Company ("Mwani Qatar”) and Indian Ports Global Private Limited was concluded.

9. There have been several other high-level visits and interactions between the two sides in the recent years:

i.  EAM Dr S. Jaishankar paid a visit to Qatar on December 30, 2024-January 1, 2025 and met Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. Earlier, he had visited Doha on 7 December 2024 for participating in the Doha Forum and met Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Commerce and Industry and MoS for Foreign Trade Affairs on the same day. EAM Dr. S Jaishankar also visited Doha on 30 June 2024 and met PM/FM Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. The two leaders also held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of India-GCC Foreign Ministers meeting in Riyadh on 9 September 2024. Earlier during his visit to Doha on 9 February 2022, EAM Dr. S Jaishankar had met then DPM and FM Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. They jointly laid the foundation stone for new Chancery building in the land allocated in the diplomatic enclave. EAM had also visited Doha in August 2021, June 2021, and December 2020.

 

ii.  MOS for External Affairs Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh visited Doha from 1-4 October 2024 and participated in the 3rd Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit and the 2nd ACD Business Forum. On the sidelines, he met with Qatar’s MOS for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi and ACD Secretary General Ambassador Nasser Thamer Al Mutairi. Earlier, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, MOS for External Affairs and Education of India attended the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), in Doha from 4-8 March 2023. Shri V Muraleedhran, MoS for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs visited Qatar from 8-10 May 2022 and held discussion with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Soltan bin Saad Al Muraikhi. They reviewed bilateral relations in addition to discussion on global and regional developments. MOS also met other Qatari dignitaries as well as a wide cross section of Indian community.

 

iii.   Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology visited Qatar on 26-27 February 2024 and held meetings with Qatar’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology, H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai, Minister for Transport H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Saif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti and the Chairman of Qatar Investment Authority and Governor of Qatar Central Bank, Sheikh Bandar bin Mohamed bin Saoud Al-Thani. Minister Shri Vaishnaw also interacted with Qatari and Indian businessmen during a luncheon meeting organized by the Indian Business and Professionals Council, Qatar in addition to addressing an afternoon session at the Web Summit Qatar 2024. The visit gave an opportunity to both sides to exchange ideas on further broadening of India-Qatar partnership in various areas including in areas like digital payments, 5G, start-ups, ports, railways and telecom infrastructure.

 

iv.   From Qatar, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs Engineer Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi visited India on 11-12 February 2025. During the visit, he met India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri in addition to participating in the India Energy Week 2025. Earlier, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed visited India on December 2-3, 2024 and participated in the CII Partnership Summit. He also met Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal on the sidelines. Earlier, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs Engineer Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi visited India on 5-6 February 2024. During the visit, he met India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri in addition to participating in the India Energy Week 2024. During the visit, QatarEnergy and PetronetLNG signed a SPA contract for supply of 7.5 MMTPA LNG for 20 years starting from 2028.

 

v.   Jassim bin Seif bin Ahmed al-Sulaiti, Minister of Transport of Qatar visited New Delhi from 5-8 February 2023. He met with Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari and Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal.

 

vi.  Sheikh Khalifa Bin Jassim Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry participated in the B20 Summit in New Delhi from 24-28 August 2023.

10.  Other recent virtual/telephonic engagements include (i)    HH Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani held a congratulatory phone call with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on June 10, 2024 on NDA’s victory in the Lok Sabha election 2024. Hon’ble Prime Minister also held a phone call with HH Amir Sheikh Tamim on October 29, 2022. The Prime Minister thanked H.H. for his gracious Diwali greetings, and conveyed best wishes for a successful FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Both leaders agreed to jointly celebrate 50 years of India-Qatar diplomatic relations in 2023. (ii)   Telephone call between EAM Dr S Jaishankar DPM/FM Abdulrahman Al-Thani on 22 January 2022. (iii)   Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Hardeep Puri and Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs of Qatar Saad Sherida Al Kaabi on 10 July 2021. (iv)  EAM Dr S Jaishankar participated in Qatar Economic Forum virtually, on 22 June 2021. (v)   Commerce and Industry Minister of India Mr. Piyush Goyal and Commerce and Industry Minister of Qatar Ali bin Ahmed Al-Kuwari held a virtual meeting on 6 May 2021 to discuss bilateral trade relations. (vi)   Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India and Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Mr. Saad Sherida Al Kaabi held telephonic conversation in the first week of May 2021 to discuss Covid situation. Earlier, they had spoken on 11 December 2020 and agreed to set up Joint Task Force on Energy. (vii)   Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister participated in Raisina Dialogue virtually on 13 April 2021. (viii)   Minister of Transport and Communications of Qatar Mr. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti participated virtually in the 2nd edition of Maritime India Summit on 2 March 2021.

 

vii.   Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani, Special Envoy of the Foreign Minister for Counter-terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution of Qatar, participated in the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing “No Money for Terror”, held in New Delhi from 18-19 November 2022.

 

viii.  Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah visited India from 03-05 February 2020 and met with Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. During the visit, Dr. Al Attiyah also visited the DefExpo 2020 exhibtion in Lucknow.

10.  Other recent virtual/telephonic engagements include

 

(i)    HH Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani held a congratulatory phone call with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on June 10, 2024 on NDA’s victory in the Lok Sabha election 2024. Hon’ble Prime Minister also held a phone call with HH Amir Sheikh Tamim on October 29, 2022. The Prime Minister thanked H.H. for his gracious Diwali greetings, and conveyed best wishes for a successful FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Both leaders agreed to jointly celebrate 50 years of India-Qatar diplomatic relations in 2023.

(ii)   Telephone call between EAM Dr S Jaishankar DPM/FM Abdulrahman Al-Thani on 22 January 2022.

(iii)   Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Hardeep Puri and Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs of Qatar Saad Sherida Al Kaabi on 10 July 2021.

(iv)  EAM Dr S Jaishankar participated in Qatar Economic Forum virtually, on 22 June 2021.

(v)   Commerce and Industry Minister of India Mr. Piyush Goyal and Commerce and Industry Minister of Qatar Ali bin Ahmed Al-Kuwari held a virtual meeting on 6 May 2021 to discuss bilateral trade relations.

(vi)   Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India and Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Mr. Saad Sherida Al Kaabi held telephonic conversation in the first week of May 2021 to discuss Covid situation. Earlier, they had spoken on 11 December 2020 and agreed to set up Joint Task Force on Energy.

(vii)   Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister participated in Raisina Dialogue virtually on 13 April 2021.

(viii)   Minister of Transport and Communications of Qatar Mr. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti participated virtually in the 2nd edition of Maritime India Summit on 2 March 2021.

11. Institutional Mechanisms

(i) India and Qatar held 5th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOCs) on 27 October 2024 in Doha. The FOCs were co-Chaired by Secretary (CPV & OIA) on the Indian side and Secretary General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Qatari side. During the meeting, the whole gamut of bilateral relations was reviewed including political, energy, trade, investments, food security, health security, science and technology, consular, community and cultural aspects. 4th FOCs were held virtually on 1 February 2021. The 3rd FOCs were held in Doha in September 2018.

(ii) India and Qatar held the first meeting of the Joint Task Force on Investment on June 6, 2024 in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on the Indian side and Undersecretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry on the Qatar side. The two sides held comprehensive discussions on boosting India-Qatar Investment partnership and required steps for the same.

(iii) India and Qatar held the first meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade and Commerce on July 10, 2024 in Doha. The two sides comprehensively reviewed the bilateral trade relations between India and Qatar and agreed to take measures for further growth in coming years.

(iv) The 5th meeting of the Joint Task Force on Energy took place virtually on 17 February 2025. The 4th meeting of the Joint Task Force on Energy was held virtually on 30 March 2022. 3rd meeting was also held virtually on 30 June 2021.

(v) The 2nd meeting of Joint Committee on Security and Law Enforcement was held on 26 October 2021 (virtually) between Ministry of Home Affairs and Qatari Ministry of Interior. Both sides agreed to further strengthen and deepen bilateral cooperation, including in the fields of cyber security, counter terrorism, prevention of trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances, enhancing industrial security, countering economic frauds, arrangements for FIFA World Cup 2022 to be hosted by Qatar.

(vi) The Inaugural meeting of Joint Customs Cooperation Committee was held on 01 December 2021 in virtual mode.

(vii) The 1st meeting of Joint Working Group on Health Cooperation was held virtually on 16 December 2021 between and MoHFW, India and Ministry of Public Health of Qatar. Both sides discussed digital health & pandemic management, pharmaceutical cooperation, exchange of experts and professionals, medical value tourism and possible areas of cooperation.

(viii) Joint Working Group on Labour and Manpower Development: The 8th Meeting of the JWG was held virtually on 10 February 2025. The meeting was co-chaired by Additional Secretary (EP&W) Shri Anurag Bhushan on the Indian side and Mr Mohammed Owaida Al Kuwari, Director in the Ministry of Labour, Qatar. The two sides held discussion on ways to enhance safe and legal movement of the people between the two countries and agreed to continue cooperation, in this regard.

(ix) Joint Business Council: The two sides held inaugural meeting of a Joint Business Council on February 13, 2025 virtually. The meeting was co-chaired by FICCI and Qatar Chamber and facilitated interaction between the businesses on both sides.

Defence

12. Qatar offers training slots in its defence institutions to a number of partner countries, including India. India has also participated in the biennial Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) in Qatar. Indian Naval and Coast Guard ships have regularly visited Qatar as part of bilateral cooperation and interaction. India-Qatar Defence Cooperation Agreement, signed during the PM’s visit to Qatar in November 2008, was further extended for a period of five years in November 2018. The agreement is implemented through the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC), which held its fifth meeting in Doha on 27-28 November 2019.

13. The visits by defence delegations and ship visits between both countries are as follows:

(i) Commander of Qatari Emiri Air Defence Forces (Staff) Major General/Rashid Alqashouti participated in “Aero India 2025” at Bengaluru from 9-12 February 2025. Earlier, Deputy Commander of Qatari Emiri Air Force Major General Ghanim Al Shahwani participated in “Aero India 2023” at Bengaluru from 12-17 February 2023 and called on Chief of Air Staff IAF Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. Flag Officer Commanding- In-Chief Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh along with his delegation visited Doha from 20-24 Mar 22 for participating in DIMDEX 22 and Middle East Naval Commanders Conference. During the visit, the Admiral met HE Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, PM and Minister of Interior Qatar, Lt General (Pilot) Salem Hamad Mohammed Aqueel Al Nabit, the Chief of Staff, Qatar Armed Forces and Maj Gen (Sea) Abdullah Hassan Al Sulaiti, Commander QENF. INS Kolkata participated in DIMDEX-22.

(ii) The Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt General Chandy Prasad Mohanty visited Doha from 07-08 Dec 21. The Vice Chief met with Commander, Qatar Emiri Land Forces and Barzan Holding Vice President.

(iii) Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, Deputy PM and Minister of State for Defence Affairs visited India in Feb 2020 and held bilateral talks with Raksha Mantri and EAM. The Minister also attended the opening ceremony of DefExpo 2020 in Lucknow.

(iv) C-17 Aircrafts of Indian Air Force visited Doha in the month of May and June 2021 to transport cryogenic containers as part of Covid relief operation.

(v) INS Kolkata, INS Tarkash, INS Trikand and INS Shardul visited Hamad Port, Doha in the month of May and June 2021 to undertake shipping of medical supplies for Covid Relief from Qatar as part of “Op Samudra Setu- II”.

(vi) Indian Naval Ship INS Tarkash, commanded by Captain Happy Mohan, paid a port call at Hamad Port on 22-23 April, 2021.

(vii) The Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces, Gen. (Pilot) Ghanim bin Shaheen Al Ghanim, visited in India from 19-22 June 2018 and called on all the three service chiefs and Defence Secretary. An agreement on white shipping information sharing was signed during the visit.

(viii) The Commander of the Qatar Amiri Naval Forces (QENF) visited in India from 02-05 April 2019 and called on Chairman of Chief of Staff Committee (COSC), Defence Secretary and Vice Chief of Air Staff.

(ix) Indian Navy’s first Sail Training Ship (STS) INS Tarangini visited Doha Port from December 08-09, 2018. A six-member team from the Qatari Navy visited the ship on December 09 for a familiarization event and interacted with the Indian Navy officials.

Commercial & Investment Relations

14. India's bilateral trade with Qatar in 2023-24 was USD 14.08 billion. India’s export to Qatar during the period was USD 1.7 billion and India’s import from Qatar was USD 12.38 billion. India’s exports to Qatar from April-November of FY 2025 stands at USD 1.08 billion and India’s imports from Qatar at USD 7.95 billion. Qatar’s key exports to India include LNG, LPG, chemicals and petrochemicals, fertilisers, plastics, and aluminium articles, while India’s key exports to Qatar include cereals, copper articles, iron and steel articles, vegetables, fruits, spices, processed food products, electrical and other machinery, plastic products, construction materials, textiles & garments, chemicals, precious stones and rubber. In 2023, India was among the top three largest export destinations for Qatar (China and South Korea being the other two) and is also among the top four sources of Qatar’s imports, along with USA, China and Italy.

15. Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for over 40% of India's global LNG imports. Besides LNG, India also imports ethylene, propylene, ammonia, urea and polyethylene from Qatar. Therefore, the balance of trade continues to be heavily in Qatar’s favour. However, there has been a substantial growth in India’s exports to Qatar in the last few years. In February 2024, Petronet LNG Ltd signed a long-term deal with QatarEnergy for supply of 7.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per annum starting from 2028 until 2048.

16. The Embassy has been organizing several meetings, including Virtual Buyer Seller Meets (VBSM) to promote Indian exports to Qatar. The focused sectors are engineering goods; gems & jewellery; food products; pharmaceutical, electronic goods; construction materials; tourism. Embassy has also been participating in high profile exhibitions like Agriteq exhibition (focused on agri, food, veterinary & environment industries), Project Qatar (focused on construction), Hospitality Qatar (focused on hospitality, food & beverage) and Qatar Travel Mart (focused on tourism) to highlight Indian expertise in these sectors. These exhibitions are held annually and there has been active participation of companies from India. Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has also organized an Indian Pavilion annually at the Doha Jewellery & Gems Exhibition (DJWE). Embassy has been organizing other events, like celebrating National Tourism Day of India and State formation days to promote tourism to India.

17. In June 2022, during the Vice President of India’s visit to Qatar, India-Qatar Business Forum was organized and India-Qatar Start-up bridge was launched during the event. Many Indian start-ups and entrepreneurs participated in Web Summit 2024 in Doha.

18. Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), a leading onshore financial and business centre, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to create more opportunities for accountants, promote entrepreneurship, and facilitate the setup of Indian firms in Qatar through collaborative initiatives.

19. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), and Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) formally exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in relation to cooperation in the presence of Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in July 2022. The MOU sets forth a statement of intent of the Authorities to establish a framework for mutual assistance and to facilitate the exchange of information between the Authorities for development, regulation and enforcing or ensuring compliance with their respective law or regulatory requirements.

20. Top 10 products imported and exported in FY 2023-24 (as per Deptt. Of Commerce, GoI):

(Value in USD millions)

Exported to Qatar		Imported from Qatar
Products	Value	Products	Value
Articles of Iron & Steel	200.18	LPG, LNG, Crude oil	11,009.06
Cereals	165.38	Organic Chemicals	388.53
Vehicles and parts thereof	109.55	Plastics	316.27
Nuclear Reactors, Boilers etc	106.40	Aluminium	159.55
Gems and Jewellery	99.37	Fertilisers	155.78
Ships, Boats, Floating Structures	73.64	Inorganic chemicals	114.79
Electrical Machinery and equipment	67.65	Misc. Chemical Products	80.68
Mineral Fuels	59.31	Gems and Jewellery	37.59
Plastics	51.20	Salt, Sulphur, Lime, Cement	26.86
Organic Chemicals	50.95	Ships, Boats and floating structures	20.66

21. According to Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), there are over 20,000 big and small Indian companies operating in Qatar, wholly owned and Joint Venture. Indian companies are today pursuing collaborations in various sectors like infrastructure, communications and information technology, energy and other areas in Qatar.

22. Major Qatari investments in India since 2022 (As per QIA website)

(i) In February 2022, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) announced its financial support of USD 1.5 billion to the investment firm Bodhi Tree, which will invest in media and consumer technology opportunities in South-East Asia, with particular focus on India.

• In July 2022, Bodhi Tree Systems invested USD 600 million in Indian test prep business Allen Career Institute for 36% stake.

• In April 2022, Bodhi Tree Systems along with a consortium of investors invested Rs 13,500 crore in Viacom 18.

(ii) In August 2023, INQ Holding LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of QIA, invested USD 1 billion in Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd.

(iii) In September 2023, QIA invested USD 150 million in Indospace.

(iv) In November 2023, QIA invested USD 50 million in Global Dental Services, the parent company of Clove Dental, India's largest tech-enabled-dental-platform.

(v) In January 2025, QIA invested USD 140 million in Shriram Housing Finance Limited.

23. In January 2024, Qatar Energy awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract-package to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for a riser platform valued at about USD 1.3 billion towards the next development phase of the offshore Al Shaheen field aimed at boosting its production capacity by about 100,000 barrels of oil per day.

24. A Joint Task Force on Investment (JTFI) has been established between both the countries to facilitate investments, and also to explore Qatari investments in the entire energy value-chain in India. The first meeting of JTFI was held in New Delhi on June 6-8, 2024. A Joint Business Council has been set-up between Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry (QCCI). Over the years, many Indian and Qatari trade and commerce delegations have visited and participated in events in both the countries. A Joint Working Group (JWG) on Trade and Commerce has also been established to facilitate trade and commerce relations between both the sides.

25. Indian Business & Professionals Council (IBPC), consisting of Board of Governors and Executive Committee members, which function under the aegis of the Embassy, along with its affiliated Associated Organizations representing various business sectors and professionals, works in coordination with the Embassy to provide a platform for the promotion of trade and commerce between India and Qatar. It also serves as an interface for businesses and trade organizations to explore opportunities in India and Qatar, facilitating business and networking connections.

Cultural Relations

26. Cultural ties between India and Qatar are deep-rooted and actively nurtured by both sides. There are regular cultural exchanges between the two sides, under the provisions of the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation signed between the two sides in 2012. Qataris admire India's cultural diversity. The year 2019 was celebrated as India-Qatar Year of Culture. India was also one of the partner countries for Qatar-MENASA year of culture 2022. A three-days cultural festival, ‘Passage to India’ 2024 was held from 7-9 March 2024 and saw enthusiastic participation of the community in various events and activities. The festival was also organized in 2022 as well.

27. “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” in Qatar was held between 2021-2023. Over 75 cultural events including exhibitions, fashion shows, art displays, dance performances, musical concerts, etc. were organized in Qatar by the Embassy during 2023 with the cooperation of Ministry of Culture & Sports of Qatar, Qatar Museums, Katara Cultural Village, Qatar Posts, and Qatar Foundation.

28. International year of Millets was celebrated in Qatar and the Embassy in collaboration with various community organizations organized events with special focus on millet.

29. Qatar, as a co-sponsor, supported Resolution at the UNGA, adopted unanimously with a record 177 co-sponsors, declaring 21 June as the International Day of Yoga (IDY). A commemorative stamp to mark the occasion was also released by Qatar Post in June 2015. International Day of Yoga is being celebrated every year attended by large number of yoga enthusiasts. In March 2022, Indian Sports Centre (working under the aegis of Indian Embassy) made it to Guinness World Record for conducting a Yoga lesson for maximum number of nationalities (114). More than 3000 people participated in IDY celebrations in 2024.

30. Qatar allows the practice of complementary medicine, including Ayurveda. A 2-member delegation from the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, visited Doha from 09-10 September 2019 and held discussions with the officials at Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health on establishment of legal framework in Qatar for practice of Ayurveda. On the margins of the visit, a business event was organized to spread awareness about the prospects of cooperation in the field of complementary medicine.

Indian Community

31. Over 830,000 strong and vibrant Indian community in Qatar is testament to the close people-to-people ties that continue to nurture the cultural bonds between the two countries. Qatar is second home to these Indians and the closeness of both countries was clearly visible in the celebration by the community of Qatar’s victory in AFC 2023 as well as the pride in the community on Qatar’s great success in hosting FIFA 2022. Indians comprise the largest expatriate community in Qatar and are engaged in a wide spectrum of professions including medicine, engineering, education, finance, banking, business, and media apart from a large number of blue-collared workers. They are highly regarded for their honesty, hard work, qualifications and contribution to the development and progress of Qatar.

32. There are over 20,000 big and small Indian companies operating in Qatar, either wholly owned or joint ventures, in sectors like infrastructure, communications and information technology, energy etc. As per Invest Qatar, Indian companies have invested over USD 350 million in Qatar for the period 2017-2025. Indian companies from across sectors have been present in Qatar for over several years. Some of these include L&T, Shapoorji Pallonji, Wipro, TCS, Tech Mahidra, Lulu Group, Malabar and Tanishq. In January 2024, L&T was awarded an EPC contract-package amounting USD 1.3 billion by Qatar Energy for further off-shore development of its Al-Shaheen fields.

33. Currently there are over 60,000 Indian students studying in 19 Indian schools and a few in international schools all over Qatar. There are approx. 4500 faculty and non-faculty in the Indian Schools itself. There are some students of Indian nationality studying in universities in Qatar. Milestone International Education (MIE) - Savitribai Phule Pune University (MIE-SPPU) started started functioning in Qatar since September 2021. MIE-SPPU is offering graduate level and post-graduate level courses.

34. There is substantial passenger traffic between India and Qatar as well as transit via Doha to various international airports. As per the bilateral Air Services agreement between the two countries, the designated airlines of each side are entitled to operate 24,292 seats per week in each direction with 2% operational flexibility. Currently, the Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, Akasa and Qatar Airways operate 214 weekly direct flights between Doha and 13 cities in India.

35. The Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), an umbrella community organisation of Indian socio-cultural associations in Qatar, functioning under the aegis of Embassy of India, Doha, undertakes a number of cultural and other activities with Mission’s guidance, support and cooperation.

36. The Indian Sports Centre (ISC) is a community based organization working under the aegis of the Embassy of India, formed exclusively to focus on all aspects relating to the promotion of various sports and games, not only amongst the Indian community, but also amongst other expatriate communities. ISC also aims to support Qatar in hosting various national and international sporting events in a sustained manner.

37. The Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) is another community based forum working under the aegis of Embassy of India which undertakes various welfare measures to provide assistance to the workforce of the community. Indian Embassy organises consular camps at different places in Qatar with the assistance of ICBF.

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February 2025

Useful Resources

The links for Embassy of India, Doha are given below:

Embassy Website	:	www.indianembassyqatar.gov.in
Twitter Handle	:	https://twitter.com/IndEmbDoha
Facebook Page	:	https://www.facebook.com/IndianEmbassyQatar
Instagram Page	:	https://www.instagram.com/indiainqatar/
Youtube Account	:	https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7VqFifmCM2oZcNOMX85TaA