India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a “fruitful” meeting with his Qatar counterpart Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani in Doha on Monday to deepen bilateral trade and investment relations.

Goyal, who co-chaired the India-Qatar Ministerial Joint Commission on Economic and Commercial Cooperation, said the discussions focused on expanding trade, investment, and strategic cooperation, opening new avenues for collaboration between the two countries. “We discussed ways to increase India-Qatar bilateral trade and reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen the multifaceted partnership,” Goyal wrote on X.

During the two-day visit, Goyal also addressed the inaugural India-Qatar Joint Business Council meeting, encouraging businesses from both nations to leverage their strategic partnership and cultural connect to enhance economic ties. “Our robust economies provide greater synergies across various sectors for shared growth and prosperity,” he added.

The Indian minister held talks with Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al-Thani, Governor of the Qatar Central Bank and Chairman of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), to explore further trade, investment, and financial cooperation.

Earlier in August, India and Qatar had conducted a high-level meeting in Delhi to promote Qatari investments in sectors such as infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, transport, logistics, food processing, healthcare, semiconductors, and finance. Qatar had pledged $10 billion in investments and announced plans to open a QIA office in India during the Amir’s state visit in February 2025.

QIA has already invested in sectors including retail, utilities, media, housing, healthcare, and real estate. Indian businesses in Qatar, particularly SMEs, have also contributed to strengthening economic ties.

The meetings underline both nations’ commitment to deepening economic cooperation, promoting cross-border investment, and enhancing the strategic partnership between India and Qatar.