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The finance ministry announced that Sitharaman is leading a high-level delegation of officials from her ministry for the trip, which includes her participation in the 11th Annual Meeting of the AIIB Board of Governors scheduled for September 28 in Doha. India serves as the second-largest shareholder in the Beijing-based multilateral bank, positioning the minister to attend in her capacity as the country’s governor to the institution. The gathering will focus on sustainable infrastructure investment, climate finance, private capital mobilisation and digital transformation, according to details released by the ministry.
Sitharaman is also set to hold bilateral meetings with AIIB President Jin Liqun and her counterparts from Jordan, Switzerland, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Nepal during the Doha visit. As part of the programme, she plans to call on senior figures in the Qatari government while engaging directly with business leaders and investors from the Gulf state. These interactions aim to identify fresh opportunities for collaboration in infrastructure projects and cross-border investments, building directly on the framework established in recent bilateral agreements.
The finance ministry statement highlighted that the visit coincides with ongoing efforts to deepen economic ties between the two countries through multilateral platforms like the AIIB. Qatar has hosted the annual meeting as a platform for member countries to coordinate on development financing priorities across Asia and beyond. Discussions are expected to address ways to scale up funding for resilient infrastructure while mobilising greater private sector participation in key projects.
This engagement builds on the strategic partnership elevated between India and Qatar during the Amir of Qatar’s visit to New Delhi in February 2025, when the Gulf state committed to investing $10 billion in Indian sectors including infrastructure, technology and manufacturing. The Ministry of External Affairs has documented that commitment alongside plans for the Qatar Investment Authority to establish an office in India to facilitate deal flow. Such steps have already translated into expanded project pipelines across transport, logistics and food processing.
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade figures place Qatari foreign direct investment into India at approximately $1.77 billion as of mid-2025, concentrated in areas from retail to renewable energy. Bilateral trade reached $13.91 billion in the fiscal year 2025-26, with Indian exports to Qatar standing at $1.62 billion, according to data compiled by the Indian Embassy in Doha. Both governments have set a target to double overall trade volumes by 2030 while advancing negotiations toward a comprehensive economic partnership agreement.
Sitharaman’s meetings with Qatari investors will likely explore additional prospects in advanced manufacturing, health care, semiconductors and green financing, areas where the two sides have identified mutual strengths. The AIIB itself has approved multiple infrastructure loans for India since becoming a founding member, supporting projects that align with national priorities in transport and energy. These overlapping interests are expected to feature in the discussions as officials seek to align financing mechanisms with ongoing investment commitments.
