If the report of Council for Strategic and Defense Research (CSDR), India has given special priority to its relations with Gulf Countries in the last decade. India’s relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, especially, have become very strong.
Prime Minister Modi’s activeness with Gulf countries
Although already India has had a historic relationship with the Gulf region, but after 2014, these relationships have become stronger due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s frequent visits and initiatives. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to travel to all six member countries of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman).
Strategic and economic participation
India has made significant progress in the areas of political, economic and military cooperation with the Gulf countries.
India has made India the fourth country with Saudi Arabia in the year 2019 to create Strategic Partnership Council.
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was accompanied by UAE, which reached $ 85 billion.
Energy and Pravasi Indian
Significantly, the Gulf country is the top oil supplier of India. 9.7 million (97 lakh) diaspora live in Gulf countries – this is the largest number of Indians in any region in the world.
Strategic approach change
According to the CSDR report, India has now started seeing the Gulf region as a strategic space-where there are extensive possibilities of defense, trade and cultural exchange.
Combined exercises of Army, Navy and Air Force have also started between India and Gulf countries.
India’s “developed India 2047” scheme and Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” match each other.
Record growth in business
In 2017-18, India’s business along with Gulf countries also overtook ASEAN and EU countries.
It increased to $ 162 billion in 2023-24.
There will be more strength in relations
The report says that in the coming times, there will be further strength in these relations, if intellectual contact and intellectual interaction is further promoted between the public.
