The state of Qatar enjoys a substantive and strong relation with the Republic of India. These relations have evolved and grown over the time stronger and steadier marked by high level exchanges between the two countries. These visits played a pivotal role in boosting and strengthening the bilateral relations between both the countries which are palpably reflected in their trade and economic relations.

 

Political Relations

His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, State of Qatar payed his first official visit to the Republic of India during 2-3 December, 2016 at the invitation from H.E. Shri Narndra Modi, Hon'ble Prime Minister of the Republic of India. H.E. the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar was accompanied by a number of ministers, businessmen and several key captains of Industry. He addressed a working dinner with Indian businessmen On December 2, 2016. At this meeting, he announced the establishment of a Qatar-India Business Council.

H.E. Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Shri Narendra Modi paid an Official Visit to Doha during 4-5 June, 2016 at the invitation extended from His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar. This was the highest-level visit from India to Qatar since the visit of former Prime Minister of India                 Dr. Manmohan Singh in November, 2008.

His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, The Emir of the State of Qatar paid a State Visit to the Republic of India during 24-25 March 2015, this visit provided an excellent opportunity to both sides to engage at the highest level, and imparted fresh momentum to the bilateral ties.

Previously, the Father Emir His Higness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani had visited India (H.E. was Emir of the State of Qatar at that time) in 1999, 2005 and 2012 respectively.

During the visit of H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, The Emir of the State of Qatar to the Republic of 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, education, culture, health, human resource, media and information technology.  

H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh (Prime Minister of the Republic of India at that time) paid an official visit to the State of Qatar during 9-10 November, 2008.

There have also been other high level visits and contacts between the two countries. And both sides have been in active interaction.

 

Economic Relations

Trade exchange between the State of Qatar and the Republic of India witnessed an excellent growth reaching 10 billion dollar during the financial year 2015-2016. However, the last few years witnessed a palpable decline in the trade volume between the two countries due to the decline in the rates of gas and oil in the international market.

India is considered to be the fourth largest export destination for the State of Qatar followed by Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Major items of Indian exports include electronic tools, transportation equipments, iron, steel, precious stones, rubber, plastic, fertilizers and the chemicals.

India is among the countries that purchase from the state of Qatar materials like Ethylene Prop byline, aluminum, urea and Polyethylene. The important materials which Qatar imports from India include accessories, textile products, garments, cosmetics, cotton clothes, transport equipments, tools, minerals, meats and pharmaceuticals. Besides both India and Qatar have a good relation in the banking sector.

At the trade cooperation level, the last year witnessed a number of developments marked by the visits of the delegations from the higher bodies of the trade and industry in India, as an office of the Qatar National Bank and an extended branch of the bank of Doha were set up in Mumbai, India.

The trade and economic cooperation and the investment exchanges are regarded the pivot of the economic and trade relations between Qatar and India added to it the remittances which the Indian expatriate community in Qatar send to India which, according to the Indian sources, are estimated to be around 750 million dollar per annum.

In view of the economic development and the tangible growth witnessed by India since last few years, India’s need to more sources of the energy is increasing. India over the last five years is known for relying on the policy known as “Energy Security” through which it relies on the countries which are politically and socially stable to provide the sources of energy. In this regard, India places Qatar on the top of the Arab countries for the natural gas and other sources of the energy. This would come to strengthen the orientations of the Indian leadership to receive more gas from Qatar for the reasons stated above.

The concerned authorities in Qatar including the Qatar Investment Authority exhibited their interests to make investment in India in the domain of the infrastructures which include roads, highways, economic corridors, airports, ports, tourism and hotels apart from the projects related to gas and fertilizers.

In turn, India is seriously looking forward to the direct investment in the manufacturing and production of the liquefied natural gas and chemical industries thereof especially the industry of fertilizers, urea, petrochemicals including the projects concerning the infrastructures related to the industry of the natural gas and drillings of oil, minerals and power.

There is a growing interest shown by the Indian companies in contributing to the construction, infrastructures, communications, information technology, energy and other fields.

 

Cooperation In the Field of Energy

Qatar is the largest supplier of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to India. India imports around 70% of its needs for the natural gas from Qatar under an agreement signed by both sides in 1990 to buy and purchase the LNG amounting to 7.5 million tonne annually for a period of 25 years. Later on, both sides agreed in December 2015 that Qatar would provide India an additional quantity of the LNG amounting to one million annually.

 

Indian Community

Indian community is the largest expatriate group in Qatar which is estimated to be around 700 million people. They are making their contribution in different sectors prominent among them being the projects associated with the hosting of Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. Indians are highly respected in Qatar for their sincerity, hard work, technical expertise and law-abiding nature. Indians are employed in almost every local establishment, governmental or private, in various capacities.