This article describes the cultural and people-to-people links between India and Qatar: the cultural agreement and festivals, yoga, heritage and museum partnerships, tourism promotion, Indian schools and students in Qatar, and the Indian community there. It is drawn from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) brief of July 2026.

Cultural agreement and festivals

Cultural exchanges between India and Qatar take place under the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation signed in 2012. The MEA brief describes cultural ties as deep-rooted and actively nurtured by both sides. The year 2019 was celebrated as the India-Qatar Year of Culture, and India was one of the partner countries for the Qatar-MENASA year of culture 2022.

A three-day cultural festival, "Passage to India" 2024, was held from 7-9 March 2024 with the participation of the Indian community; the festival was also organised in 2022. "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" was marked in Qatar between 2021-2023. During 2023, the Embassy organised over 75 cultural events, including exhibitions, fashion shows, art displays, dance performances and concerts, with the cooperation of Qatar's Ministry of Culture & Sports, Qatar Museums, Katara Cultural Village, Qatar Posts and Qatar Foundation. The International Year of Millets was also celebrated with community organisations.

Yoga

Qatar was a co-sponsor of the UN General Assembly resolution, adopted unanimously with a record 177 co-sponsors, that declared 21 June as the International Day of Yoga (IDY). Qatar Post released a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion in June 2015. The day is celebrated every year in Qatar, and more than 1500 people took part in the IDY celebrations in 2026.

In March 2022, the Indian Sports Centre, which works under the aegis of the Indian Embassy, entered the Guinness World Records for a yoga session with the maximum number of nationalities (114).

Heritage, museums and books

Qatar's Minister of Culture, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani, visited India on 8-13 December 2025 for the 20th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), held at the Red Fort in New Delhi. During that meeting, Deepavali and "Sadu Weaving" from Qatar were included in the ICH list. He returned on 9-11 January 2026 for the New Delhi World Book Fair, held from 10-18 January 2026, at which Qatar was the "Guest of Honour" country.

On 22 December 2025, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) signed a five-year partnership agreement in Doha with Qatar Museums to establish a series of Museum-in-Residence educational programmes in India and Qatar. A delegation from Qatar Leadership Centre (QLC) visited India in November 2025.

Tourism

On 22 July 2025, Visit Qatar announced a year-long partnership with NMACC in Mumbai to present Qatar's heritage and attractions to Indian tourists, and a programme was held in Mumbai on 30 August 2025. In the other direction, the Embassy of India in Doha marks India's National Tourism Day and State formation days to promote tourism to India.

Indian schools and students in Qatar

According to the MEA brief of July 2026, about 60,000 Indian students study in 19 Indian schools and a few international schools across Qatar. More than 1500 Indian students study in universities in Qatar.

Milestone International Education (MIE) - Savitribai Phule Pune University (MIE-SPPU) has functioned in Qatar since September 2021. It offers graduate and post-graduate courses to about 400 students.

The Indian community

The Indian community in Qatar numbers around 830,000, and Indians are the largest expatriate community in the country. They work in a wide range of professions, including medicine, engineering, education, finance, banking, business and media, as well as in large numbers as blue-collar workers. The brief links the community to people-to-people ties, and cites the support and celebrations around Qatar's hosting of FIFA 2022 and its victory in AFC 2023.

The community has four apex bodies under the aegis of the Embassy:

  • Indian Cultural Centre (ICC)
  • Indian Business & Professionals Council (IBPC)
  • Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF)
  • Indian Sports Centre (ISC)

Every year, the Embassy celebrates Labour Day with a large gathering of Indian workers in Doha. Consular and welfare services for Indian nationals in Qatar are covered in the practical guide in this series.