Doha, September 29 (QNA) – Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) has met with HE Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs of the Republic of India Nirmala Sitharaman and her accompanying delegation to discuss strengthening economic and investment ties between Qatar and India, in addition to unlocking prospects for cooperation between the private sectors of the two nations.
Both sides addressed the investment opportunities available and the developing sectors that could form areas of partnership and cooperation throughout the upcoming phase, as well as avenues for increasing and diversifying bilateral trade, boosting reciprocal investments, and encouraging Qatari and Indian companies to establish partnerships and projects that capitalize on the countries’ substantial economic and investment potential.
HE Sitharaman said India represents a strategic market for Qatari investors given its economic scale and extensive industrial and technological base.
She noted that Qatar, in turn, offers an advanced investment environment, a strategic location, and world-class infrastructure that Indian firms can leverage to gain access to markets in the Gulf and the wider region.
HE Sheikh Nawaf Nasser bin Khalid Al-Thani, member of the QBA’s board of directors, affirmed that Qatar-India relations are gaining growing momentum, underpinned by strong strategic ties and mutual economic and trade interests.
He explained that the next phase will provide important opportunities for the private sector in both countries to play a greater role in developing these relations and turning them into long-term investments and projects.
Qatar and India have well-established economic ties, but there is greater potential for the private sector in both countries to capitalize on, His Excellency pointed out, emphasizing that he looks forward to moving beyond traditional trade relations toward long-term investment partnerships built on joint projects, technology and knowledge transfer, and the creation of added value for both economies.
  The meeting also took stock of a range of sectors that could serve as pillars of future cooperation between Qatari and Indian companies, across the gamut from technology, the digital economy and artificial intelligence to advanced industries, financial services and fintech, health care and pharmaceuticals, transportation and logistics services, food security and food industries, renewable energy, infrastructure, and tourism and hospitality.
The two sides also highlighted opportunities for cooperation in transportation and logistics services and supply chains, as well as ways to capitalize on Qatar’s strategic location and high-end infrastructure and India’s industrial and commercial capabilities, helping boost trade flows and connect Gulf markets with Indian and Asian markets.
As the meeting wrapped up, the QBA underlined its commitment to maintaining engagement with the Indian business community, working to build direct partnerships between companies in the two countries, and capitalizing on the current momentum in bilateral relations to increase investment and trade and develop joint projects in priority sectors, in a way that serves the shared economic interests of the State of Qatar and the Republic of India. (QNA)