At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, His Highness the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, visited India from February 17-18, 2025, accompanied by a high-level delegation of ministers, officials, and business leaders. This marked his second state visit to India.
The Amir was received with a ceremonial welcome by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Modi at Rashtrapati Bhawan on February 18, 2025.
The President hosted a banquet in honour of the Amir and his delegation. Later, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with the Amir at Hyderabad House, where both leaders emphasised the strong historical trade links and deep people-to-people ties between the two countries.
The agreement signed underlined the commitment of both countries to enhancing cooperation in diverse areas such as political ties, trade, investment, energy, technology, education, sustainability, and security.
Both sides were pleased with the signing of the revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and committed to fast-tracking negotiations on the Bilateral Investment Treaty.
The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to high-level exchanges, building on past visits, including the Amir's visit to India in 2015 and Prime Minister Modi’s trips to Qatar in 2016 and 2024.
A key focus was on expanding trade, with both leaders agreeing to elevate the Joint Working Group on Trade and Commerce to a Joint Commission, which will monitor economic cooperation and ensure institutionalisation of trade mechanisms.
A significant objective was diversifying bilateral trade, and both sides agreed to explore the possibility of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. They set a target to double bilateral trade by 2030.
The Indian side also welcomed Qatar Investment Authority’s decision to open an office in India and commended Qatar’s investment-friendly policies. Qatar announced its commitment to invest USD 10 billion in India, focusing on sectors like infrastructure, technology, and logistics.
Both countries also expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the Joint Task Force on Investments, established in June 2024. The two sides discussed enhancing cooperation in investment, trade, and economic diversification, ensuring the mutual growth of industries and businesses.
The establishment of the Joint Business Forum in February 2025 was a significant step in facilitating this cooperation.
In energy cooperation, both sides agreed to promote mutual investments in energy infrastructure. There were also discussions on advancing bilateral cooperation in cybersecurity, combating terrorism, money laundering, and drug trafficking, and sharing intelligence to tackle cross-border terrorism.
Both leaders reiterated their commitment to working together through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to counter these challenges.
Health cooperation was recognised as a vital aspect of their partnership, with both nations continuing their work in the post-Covid era. The Indian side expressed interest in increasing exports of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to Qatar.
Both sides also aimed to facilitate the registration of national companies and products.
Technology and innovation were highlighted as priority sectors for future collaboration, including startups and artificial intelligence. The two countries looked forward to Indian participation in Web Summits in Qatar in 2024-25.
Additionally, the importance of food security and protecting supply chains was recognised, with both nations agreeing to enhance cooperation in this area.
To further this, they announced the India-Qatar Year of Culture, Friendship, and Sports, celebrating their close ties through cultural and sports events.
Education also emerged as a major area for collaboration, with both sides committed to strengthening academic exchanges and partnerships between their universities.
The bilateral ties are further strengthened by the Indian community in Qatar, which is highly respected for its contributions to Qatar’s growth.
The visit concluded with the signing of several key documents:
- Agreement on the Establishment of Bilateral Strategic Partnership
- Revised Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion
- MoU on Financial and Economic Collaboration between the Ministries of Finance
- MoU on Cooperation in Youth and Sports
- MoU for Cooperation in Documents and Archives
- MoU between Invest India and Invest Qatar
- MoU between Confederation of Indian Industry and Qatari Businessmen Association
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