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India and the GCC inked a terms of reference to formally launch negotiations for a trade agreement, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said in a post on X, reviving talks that had stalled two decades ago.
By the numbers: Bilateral trade between India and the GCC rose to USD 178.7 bn in 2025, driven by energy imports. India runs sizable trade deficits with key partners such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, raising the economic stakes of a broader regional agreement.
Why it matters: India has already secured economic pacts with the UAE and Oman. A bloc-wide agreement would mean that New Delhi could secure similarly attractive terms with the rest of the bloc, which could cut down the regulatory red tape that complicates logistics for Indian firms operating across the KSA-UAE-Oman axis.
The UAE-India CEPA, which came into force in 2022, has helped double merchandise trade to a record USD 100.06 bn in FY 2024-25 from USD 43.3 bn in FY 2020-21. Non-oil trade, the primary target of the agreement, surged 15% within the first two years, reaching USD 57.8 bn. The two also inked a raft of agreements last month, spanning defense, energy, and advanced tech.
Possible outcomes: India will likely seek out easier movement for its white-collar workforce, while the GCC may seek technical expertise in its domestic manufacturing push. Plus: Food processing, infrastructure, petrochemicals and information and communications technology are sectors that are expected to benefit from an India-GCC trade agreement, Goyal said.
IN OTHER TRADE NEWS
UK-GCC trade talks are nearing the finish line, with London signaling that a long-delayed trade agreement with the Gulf bloc could be announced shortly, Bloomberg reports.
An agreement is “imminent,” UK Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said. Negotiations began back in 2022 under the previous government but stalled amid repeated delays. Earlier hopes of sealing the pact before year-end fell away, but Kyle said a conclusion is now close. However, he declined to give a timeline or give details on remaining sticking points.
