Qatar has committed to investing $10 billion in India across various sectors, as stated in a joint announcement made on February 18, following the visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to New Delhi. This visit is significant as it marks the first time in ten years that a Qatari Emir has traveled to India, the previous visit occurring in 2015. The Indian community is the largest expatriate group in Qatar, with more than 835,000 Indian nationals living there, and India ranks among the top three export markets for Qatar. In a notable departure from customary protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally greeted Emir Al-Thani at the New Delhi airport, where a lavish ceremony took place.
PM Modi expressed his sentiments on social media, stating, “Went to the airport to welcome my brother, Amir of Qatar H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was also present to welcome the Emir, who last visited India in March 2015. The planned investment will focus on sectors such as infrastructure, technology, manufacturing, food security, logistics, and hospitality. Furthermore, both countries aspire to double their annual trade to $28 billion within the next five years and are exploring the possibility of a free trade agreement. In the fiscal year ending March 2023, bilateral trade reached $18.77 billion, largely driven by liquefied natural gas imports from Qatar, which constituted over 48% of India’s LNG imports for that year.
