At the India-Qatar Business Summit, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada emphasized India’s commitment to attracting foreign investments and strengthening economic ties with Qatar. The summit, held on the sidelines of the Emir of Qatar’s visit to India, marks a significant step in expanding bilateral trade, investment, and business opportunities between the two nations.
Responding to a question regarding the Rs 10,000 crore investment earmarked for India by Lulu Mall Chairman, Prasada highlighted the impressive growth of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. ‘The foreign direct investment has grown 69 per cent in the last 10 years. Apart from that, we want India to be the manufacturing hub. We want people to ‘Make in India’ for the world, we want investment, and we want people to get/create jobs in India. Such investment is what we want,’ Prasada stated.
The Minister underscored the historically strong relationship between India and Qatar, attributing the robust engagement to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proactive efforts in fostering trade ties with the Emir of Qatar. ‘As you are all aware, India and Qatar have had a very strong relationship over the years. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself leading the talks, this shows that the two countries have so much to share and benefit from each other,’ he added.
He further emphasized the government’s dedication to boosting trade and investment for the benefit of Indian citizens. “With the government’s total focus on improving trade for the citizens of India in the best interest of our country, PM Modi has taken this initiative and welcomed the Amir of Qatar and the biggest delegation from Qatar in history till now. So, we will see a lot happening. India will stand to gain with this relationship with Qatar,” Prasada said.
The summit witnessed the participation of prominent business leaders, policymakers, and industry representatives from both countries, reflecting a mutual interest in exploring new avenues for collaboration. The India-Qatar Joint Business Forum, convened alongside the summit, aimed to facilitate direct business engagements and identify key sectors for future investments.
India and Qatar share a longstanding partnership, with Qatar being a significant supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India. The two nations have continued to build on this foundation by diversifying their economic cooperation across sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology.
The India-Qatar Business Summit concluded with a collective commitment to further deepen bilateral ties, signaling a new chapter in the economic relationship between the two countries.
