India, Gulf bloc discuss next steps on free trade agreement
India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have resumed discussions regarding a free trade agreement to strengthen economic ties. The talks aim to boost bilateral trade and investment, despite previous delays caused by regional instability in West Asia.
Why it matters
The GCC is India's largest trading partner bloc, and a successful FTA would significantly impact regional economic growth and energy security.
India has reviewed the negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as the country's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Vipul, held wide-ranging talks with the secretary general of the six-nation bloc, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, in Riyadh.
The meeting took place on Sunday (August 23, 2026), where both sides discussed ways to strengthen India-GCC relations, exchanged views on regional and international developments, and reviewed preparations for a Ministerial meeting scheduled next month, the GCC Secretariat said in a statement.
The meeting assumes significance as India and the GCC resumed negotiations in February for a comprehensive trade agreement aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment, even though the talks were temporarily stalled in June because of the West Asia crisis.
The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and was established in 1981 as a political, economic and security grouping.
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