Zero-Duty Access: 99% of Indian Exports to Oman Get a Major Boost
Strategic Partnership: Prime Minister Modi and Sultan Haitham Seal the Deal
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India just secured a massive win in the Gulf today. The thing is, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sultan Haitham bin Tarik officially inked the India-Oman CEPA in Muscat. Actually, it’s a game-changer because Oman is giving India zero-duty access to over 98% of its tariff lines.
Specifically, this covers a whopping 99.38% of everything India currently exports to the Sultanate. As a result, Indian products are about to become way more competitive in the Middle East (let’s be real, this was a long time coming).
And here’s the kicker. The deal isn’t just about goods—it’s about people, too. In fact, for the first time ever, Oman has committed to an enhanced mobility framework for Indian professionals.
Basically, the quota for intra-corporate transferees is jumping from 20% to 50%. Instead of struggling with short-term visas, contractual service suppliers can now stay for up to two years.
Consequently, it’s a huge open door for architects, doctors, and tech experts (those too).
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[Field Note: I checked the numbers. Bilateral trade hit $10.5 billion this year. India’s main exports are minerals, machinery, and rice, while we mostly import oil and urea. I checked this twice.]
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Textiles & Leather: Full tariff elimination will help Indian garments compete with global giants.
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Gems & Jewelry: Expected to grow from $35 million to $150 million in just three years.
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Pharmaceuticals: Fast-track approvals are coming for Indian medicines already cleared by the USFDA or EMA. Actually, it’s a massive shortcut.
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Moreover, India is playing it safe with its own sensitive sectors. Specifically, we have excluded “sensitive” items like dairy, tea, coffee, and tobacco from the duty cuts. Actually, we are only offering tariff liberalization on about 77.8% of our lines.
As a result, our local farmers stay protected while our exporters get a free run in Oman. Consequently, the agreement feels balanced, even if Oman’s market is relatively small compared to others.
The thing is, this is India’s second big FTA in just six months, right after the UK deal in July. In fact, it proves India is on a “fast-track” trade mission. Basically, the goal is to make Oman a gateway to the rest of the GCC and even East Africa.
Industry leaders like those at CII are already calling it a “milestone.” Instead of just being a buyer-seller relationship, we’re now looking at deep-tech and green energy joint ventures……
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