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India and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed terms of reference (ToR) on Feb. 5, 2026 to formally launch negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The ceremony in New Delhi was presided over by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
The ToR sets out the scope and modalities for talks between India and GCC members — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain — restarting a process last active in 2006-08.
New Delhi said the pact aims to boost bilateral trade, investment and labour mobility; millions of Indians work across the Gulf.
Trade between India and the GCC rose to about $178.7 billion in 2024-25, with Indian exports near $57 billion and imports — largely crude oil and gas — at $121.7 billion.
India has recent bilateral pacts with the UAE (2022) and an Oman CEPA signed in December 2025.
Negotiators will now move to detailed chapters, with sensitive sectors such as energy, agriculture and tariffs likely to shape the pace and outcome of the talks.

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