Muscat – Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, held a series of high-level meetings in Muscat on Tuesday, reinforcing economic and trade ties between the two nations.

Goyal met H H Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Personal Representative of His Majesty the Sultan, to discuss strategic collaboration and deepen economic partnerships.

“Honoured to call on H H Sayyid Asaad. Appreciate his guidance on strengthening the multifaceted partnership between India and Oman and exploring opportunities for deeper collaboration across key areas of mutual interest,” Goyal posted on X.

Goyal also met H E Sultan bin Salim al Habsi, Minister of Finance, and Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Chairman of Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones.

Reflecting on his meeting with H E Habsi, Goyal said, “We explored avenues to enhance India-Oman economic cooperation, expand investment opportunities and strengthen financial mechanisms to boost our bilateral partnership.”

Goyal added that he held “productive discussions” with Sunaidy, reviewing cooperation opportunities and investment areas in special economic zones, free zones and industrial cities supervised by the authority.

The two discussed opportunities for establishing joint projects in the fields of mining, manufacturing equipment for generating electricity from solar and wind energy, and space research.

“We discussed deepening India-Oman cooperation in special economic zones. India looks forward to partnering with Oman in logistics, manufacturing and industrial development,” Goyal said.

On Monday, Goyal met H E Qais bin Mohammed al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.

The meeting highlighted the success of the fifth round of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations and stressed the need to expedite its completion to enhance trade and investment between the two countries.

In addition to government engagements, Goyal met key business leaders from Oman to explore trade and investment prospects. A business roundtable, hosted by H E Amit Narang, Indian Ambassador to Oman, facilitated discussions on expanding bilateral trade, enhancing business-friendly policies and fostering greater private sector collaboration.

The meetings underscore India and Oman’s commitment to deepening economic ties, promoting investment, and exploring new avenues for trade and industrial growth.