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India and Oman have signed a Free Trade Agreement to strengthen bilateral trade. The deal opens new opportunities in textiles, jewelry, automobiles, agriculture, and MSMEs. Prime Minister Modi was honored with the prestigious ‘Order of Oman’.
Prime Minister Modi's Oman Visit and Bilateral Agreement
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, on December 18, 2025. During the meeting, the two countries signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which will further strengthen trade relations between India and Oman. On this occasion, Prime Minister Modi was awarded the 'Order of Oman' by the Omani government for his contributions to bilateral relations.
This agreement will boost exports from India's labor-intensive industries such as textiles, leather, footwear, gems and jewelry, engineering products, plastics, furniture, agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and automobiles. This will create jobs and strengthen artisans, women-led enterprises, and MSMEs.
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This is India's second free trade agreement in the last six months. In recent years, India has signed several free trade agreements, which have significantly benefited farmers, traders, and exporters.
India already has a similar agreement with the UAE, a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which came into effect in May 2022. Other GCC members include Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. India and Qatar will also soon begin negotiations for a trade agreement. In the financial year 2024-25, bilateral trade between India and Oman was approximately US$10.5 billion, with exports of US$4 billion and imports of US$6.54 billion.
India's main imports from Oman are petroleum products and urea, which account for more than 70% of total imports. Other major imports include propylene, ethylene polymers, petcoke, gypsum, chemicals, iron, steel, and unrefined aluminum. The main products exported from India to Oman include mineral fuels, chemicals, precious metals, iron and steel, cereals, ships, boats, electrical machinery, boilers, tea, coffee, spices, textiles, and food products.
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Union Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the India-Oman FTA will create new opportunities in sectors such as textiles, food processing, automobiles, jewelry, agrochemicals, renewable energy, and auto components. He described Oman as a gateway to the Gulf Cooperation Council, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Africa, adding that it will provide Indian businesses with improved market access and strategic advantages.
