The visit of the Qatari Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, a decade after his last visit to India, has led to a reaffirmation of the deep ties between two countries. While they do not always share the same worldview, both countries recognise each other’s importance on the regional and global stage. For Qatar, India is a globally connected power, maintaining a balance with all players in the West Asian region including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran and Israel. Indian expatriates are often seen as the backbone of Qatari economic activity. For India, Qatar is a Gulf power, a huge source of remittances and a partner with a major geo-strategic role. Qatar also provides 45% of India’s LNG needs, which makes up about half of the bilateral trade of $15 billion between the two countries. While Qatar is home to a U.S. military base, which houses the U.K. and Australian air forces, it has also hosted groups such as the Hamas and the Taliban, and maintains ties with regional militia groups. In its recent decision to broaden its engagement with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the Narendra Modi government has leaned on the Qatari leadership. In addition, the Qatari Amir’s decision to pardon eight former Indian naval personnel, reportedly accused of spying and handed the death sentence in 2023, has helped forge a closer understanding. It is fitting and long overdue, therefore, that after the talks in Delhi, India and Qatar decided to upgrade ties to a strategic partnership, given that India already has strategic partnerships signed with the Gulf Cooperation Council including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. They also signed a double taxation avoidance agreement and MoUs in areas including sports and youth affairs. They agreed to double bilateral trade by 2030, and Qatar is to invest $10 billion in India in infrastructure and manufacturing sectors and other areas.

While the joint statement and readouts dwelt on the bilateral bonhomie, the geopolitical undertones of their summit cannot be ignored. The Qatari Amir’s visit comes amidst turmoil in the Gulf region over the Israel-Gaza conflict and U.S. President Donald Trump’s outrageous plan to clear two million Palestinians from their homeland in the name of regional peace. Every country in the Gulf region has voiced its opposition to the Trump announcement, and New Delhi’s relative silence has been noted. While the joint statement said that both sides conveyed their respective positions on the “Israel-Hamas issue”, it did not detail those positions. As Arab, GCC and OIC members meet this week to discuss the challenge from developments in Gaza, the India-Qatar talks may have delivered the opportunity for both sides to bridge that divide between them, even as Delhi and Doha committed to a much stronger, forward-looking bilateral partnership.