This article covers the sectoral cooperation between India and Qatar recorded by the Ministry of External Affairs: energy supply and contracts, defence, security, health, labour and technology. It is based on the MEA brief of July 2026. The brief does not describe Indian development programmes such as lines of credit or ITEC training for Qatar, so this article concentrates on the sectors the brief does cover.

Energy

According to the MEA brief of July 2026, Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India: 10.86 MMT for US$ 5.61 billion in FY 2025-26, and 11.19 MMT in FY 2024-25. Qatar is also the largest supplier of LPG to India: 4.58 MMT for US$ 2.67 billion in Financial Year 2025-26, and 4.89 MMT in FY 2024-25. Besides gas, India imports ethylene, propylene, ammonia, urea and polyethylene from Qatar.

In FY 2025-26, total bilateral hydrocarbon trade amounted to US$ 10.81 billion, accounting for 77.71% of overall bilateral trade. The brief gives the following breakdown, in USD billion:

  • 2022-23: crude import 1.87, POL import 12.64, POL export 0.28, total hydrocarbon trade 14.79 (78.86% of total trade)
  • 2023-24: crude import 1.11, POL import 9.85, POL export 0.05, total hydrocarbon trade 11.01 (78.31%)
  • 2024-25: crude import 1.06, POL import 10.01, POL export 0.06, total hydrocarbon trade 11.13 (78.71%)
  • 2025-26: crude import 2.04, POL import 8.69, POL export 0.08, total hydrocarbon trade 10.81 (77.71%)

Long-term supply agreements

  • QatarEnergy and PetronetLNG: a long-term LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement signed in February 2024, during the visit of Qatar's MoS for Energy Affairs Eng. Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi for India Energy Week 2024. It provides for 7.5 MMTPA supply for 20 years starting from 2028.
  • Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL): in June 2024 HPL announced an agreement under which QatarEnergy will supply up to two million tons of Naphtha over ten years, starting from the second quarter of 2024.
  • GAIL: in December 2024, GAIL and QatarEnergy signed an agreement for 60 Cargoes of LNG over 5 years.
  • Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC): on 29 October 2025, QatarEnergy signed a 17-year Sales and Purchase Agreement to supply up to 1 MMTPA of LNG, with deliveries starting in 2026.

Ministerial contacts on energy

Minister of State for Energy Affairs Eng. Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi visited India on 11-12 February 2025 and on 5-6 February 2024, meeting Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and taking part in India Energy Week on both occasions. Shri Puri visited Doha on 9-10 April 2026 and met Mr. Saad Sherida Al Kaabi on 9 April, conveying India's solidarity with Qatar amid the war in West Asia. Both ministers stressed the importance of an early end to disruption in global energy supplies and of unimpeded freedom of navigation. Shri Puri also met Indian business leaders and members of the Indian community on 10 April.

The Joint Task Force on Energy held its 5th meeting virtually on 17 February 2025. Its 4th and 3rd meetings were also held virtually, on 30 March 2022 and 30 June 2021.

Defence

India and Qatar signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement in November 2008. A Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation (JCDC) held its fifth meeting in Doha in November 2019. The two sides offer training slots in their defence institutions and take part in each other's defence exhibitions and events, including Aero India, International Fleet Review & MILAN and DefExpo in India, and DIMDEX in Qatar.

The two navies held their second bilateral maritime exercise, Za'ir Al Bahr (Roar of the Sea), in August 2021. Qatar Emiri Naval Force took part as Observers in MILAN 2022, the biennial multilateral naval exercise hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam in February 2022. During the Covid pandemic, Qatar facilitated visits of Indian naval ships to transport LMO containers through Qatari ports.

Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and MoS for Defence Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah visited India from 3-5 February 2020. He met Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, and visited the DefExpo 2020 exhibition in Lucknow.

Security and law enforcement

The 2nd meeting of the Joint Committee on Security and Law Enforcement, between India's Ministry of Home Affairs and Qatar's Ministry of Interior, was held virtually on 26 October 2021. Mr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani, Special Envoy of Qatar's Foreign Minister for Counter-terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution, took part in the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing, "No Money for Terror", in New Delhi on 18-19 November 2022.

Health

The 1st meeting of the Joint Working Group on Health Cooperation, between India's MoHFW and Qatar's Ministry of Public Health, was held virtually on 16 December 2021. The two sides discussed digital health and pandemic management, pharmaceutical cooperation, exchange of experts and professionals, and medical value tourism.

Labour and manpower

The Joint Working Group on Labour and Manpower Development held its 8th meeting virtually on 10 February 2025. It was co-chaired by Additional Secretary (EP&W) Shri Anurag Bhushan and Mr Mohammed Owaida Al Kuwari, Director in Qatar's Ministry of Labour. The two sides discussed ways to enhance safe and legal movement of people between the two countries and agreed to continue cooperation on this.

Minister of Labour and Employment & Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh L. Mandaviya visited Doha from 4-6 November 2025 for the Second World Summit for Social Development. He delivered India's plenary statement, addressed two round-table sessions organised by the ILO and NITI Aayog, and met Qatar's Minister of Social Development & Family, HE Ms. Buthaina Bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi. He also met the President of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al Thani, and the Acting CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation.

Communications and technology

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, visited Qatar on 26-27 February 2024. He met Qatar's Minister for Communications and Information Technology, H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai; Minister for Transport, H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Saif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti; and the Chairman of Qatar Investment Authority and Governor of Qatar Central Bank, H.E. Sheikh Bandar bin Mohamed bin Saoud Al-Thani. He also addressed a session at Web Summit Qatar 2024.