Piyush Goyal urges Indians in Qatar to strengthen ties and support India-Qatar trade

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Ambassador of India to Qatar Vipul and others. Pic/PTI

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, who is in Qatar to co-chair the India-Qatar Joint Commission on Trade and Commerce, has emphasised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal for a self-sufficient and wealthy India.

During his visit, Goyal addressed the Indian community at an event in Doha, thanking them for their contributions to the advancement of bilateral ties. He also asked them to look for new ways to expand collaboration and strengthen economic and cultural relations between the two countries.

While posting on social media handle X, Piyush Goyal said, "addressed an Indian community event in Doha, appreciating the invaluable contribution of our diaspora in advancing India-Qatar bilateral relations. Spoke about PM Narendra Modi ji's vision for a self-reliant and prosperous India, a cornerstone in the journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. Also, urged the community to explore new avenues for deeper collaboration and to further strengthen business and cultural ties between India and Qatar."

At the community event, Union Minister Piyush Goyal further suggested that Indians living in Qatar create an integrated database to facilitate connection.

Piyush Goyal also highlighted that the effort must work to connect all Indians to at least one Indian association.

He emphasised, "There's no integrated database of all the people who live in Qatar having roots back home in India. I'm suggesting this not out of any compulsion or desire to showcase the strength of the Indian community, but from the point of view that in good or bad times, it's always beneficial to be able to connect.

Highlighting the engagements between both countries, he asserted, "While the embassy may not engage in such activities, to avoid any misunderstanding, we could consider launching an initiative since we have over a hundred associations working in different parts of Qatar," as cited by news agency ANI.

"Let us make an effort to reach out to our brothers and sisters and ensure that every person who has come to Qatar to serve the nation, representing India, is a member of at least one association. We can easily create a simple online registration with basic information, no confidential information, no intrusion on privacy, and no misuse of any data, but just the ability to connect," Piyush Goyal added.

Goyal, who is currently in Doha, also planted a sapling at the Indian Embassy in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign and paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.

Earlier, Goyal and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, reviewed the planned India-Qatar FTA, with an emphasis on finishing the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The two sides evaluated bilateral trade performance, addressed trade impediments, and discussed ways to improve trade and investment flows, as reported by ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)