India-Qatar negotiations for a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) could gain momentum during Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s visit to Doha for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) annual meeting.
Sitharaman is expected to meet Qatar’s Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari on the sidelines of the two-day AIIB annual meeting. The bilateral meeting could provide fresh momentum to the ongoing investment treaty negotiations, although officials do not expect the talks to necessarily conclude during the visit.
India and Qatar are also negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with Qatar expressing interest in concluding the investment and trade agreements together.
India’s current BIT framework requires foreign investors to exhaust local legal remedies for five years before seeking international arbitration. The framework is currently under review, with an updated model expected to address concerns raised by negotiating partners.
India has recorded around $1.78 billion in cumulative FDI from Qatar since 2000, according to the latest DPIIT data available through June 2026. India is also negotiating BITs with the UK, European Union and Canada.
Sitharaman’s September 27–29 Doha visit also includes participation in the 11th AIIB Annual Meeting and meetings with international finance ministers, investors and business leaders.
