Overview
- Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said Monday the India–Oman free trade pact is expected to take effect on June 1, granting zero-duty entry on 98.08% of Oman’s tariff lines that account for 99.38% of India’s export value there.
- India is chasing $1 trillion in exports this fiscal and $2 trillion within five years after reporting a record $863 billion in FY26, with several other completed trade deals moving through legal ratification.
- Goyal launched the Bharatiya Vyapar Mahotsav portal Monday to promote made-in-India goods, urging businesses to track import data, lift domestic production in areas like capital goods and medical devices, and focus on quality and scale.
- Commerce officials highlighted Salalah and Duqm as routes that bypass Strait of Hormuz risks, and recent data show a sharp April jump in India’s trade with Oman even as flows with some Gulf partners, including the UAE, fell.
- Under the pact, Indian sectors such as textiles, farm products, and leather gain immediate price advantages, while India will cut duties on about 78% of its own tariff lines for Omani goods with quotas protecting sensitive items; bilateral trade reached about $10.6 billion in 2024–25.