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The Indian Ministry of Finance reported that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed on the sidelines of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 2026 Annual Meeting held in Doha. During those talks the Qatari minister outlined investment opportunities in India’s ports, airports, highways and power sectors. The two officials also identified multiple areas where Indian businesses could expand operations inside Qatar including food security, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, education, healthcare and start-ups.
According to the ministry the discussions centred on accelerating rollout of Qatar’s $10 billion investment pledge first made during the Amir of Qatar’s state visit to India in February 2025. Both parties agreed to expedite establishment of a Qatar Investment Authority office in India to support deal sourcing and project coordination. The ministry said the sides expressed keen interest in completing negotiations for a Bilateral Investment Treaty with accelerated engagement planned alongside Free Trade Agreement talks.
Bilateral trade between India and Qatar stood at roughly 14 billion dollars in fiscal 2025 according to the Global Trade Research Initiative with the balance heavily tilted toward energy imports such as liquefied natural gas. The two governments have set a target of lifting annual trade volumes toward 30 billion dollars by 2030 through greater diversification. This latest engagement builds on the strategic partnership elevated last year and seeks to translate broad commitments into measurable project pipelines.
The Ministry of Finance added that Sitharaman emphasised the importance of restoring normal trade flows across the Gulf region and ensuring unimpeded maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. She separately addressed a business roundtable organised by the Qatari Businessmen Association where India’s economic performance and investment climate were presented to potential partners. Such outreach aims to encourage direct company-to-company collaboration beyond government-level agreements.
Qatar Investment Authority has signalled continued interest in Indian infrastructure and related sectors following the high-level pledge with earlier discussions already covering technology manufacturing and logistics alongside the four highlighted infrastructure areas. A report from the Ministry of Finance noted that both delegations reviewed progress on these fronts during the Doha meetings. Further technical discussions are expected in the coming months to identify specific investible projects that align with India’s infrastructure expansion plans.
Data from Trading Economics placed India’s imports from Qatar at 12.87 billion dollars in 2025 dominated by mineral fuels and fertilisers while Indian exports focused on manufactured goods and agricultural products. The ministry’s announcement frames the latest talks as part of a sustained push to balance economic ties and create mutual opportunities. Officials from both countries will now work toward concrete outcomes that support the agreed investment and trade targets.
