India and Oman continue to strengthen their long-standing and multi-dimensional relationship, marked by deep historical links, robust political engagement and expanding cooperation across strategic, economic and cultural sectors. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1955 and were elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2008, reflecting the growing depth and maturity of bilateral ties.
Oman is a key pillar of India’s West Asia policy and an important interlocutor for New Delhi in regional and multilateral forums such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). The two countries share close geographical, historical and cultural connections, with people-to-people contact dating back nearly 5,000 years.
Strong political engagement
Political relations between India and Oman have gained a distinctly strategic character over the years, supported by regular high-level exchanges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Oman in February 2018, while Sultan Haitham bin Tarik paid a State visit to India in December 2023, giving fresh momentum to bilateral ties.
Several ministerial and senior-level visits from both sides in recent years have reinforced cooperation in areas such as foreign affairs, commerce, defence, health, space and maritime security. India also invited Oman as a guest country during its G20 Presidency in 2023, underlining the special nature of the partnership. Oman actively participated in over 150 G20 meetings, with nine Omani ministers visiting India during the year.
Leaders of both countries have remained in close contact through regular meetings and telephonic conversations, including discussions on COVID-19 cooperation, regional developments and global issues.
Defence and security cooperation
Defence cooperation has emerged as a central pillar of the India-Oman strategic partnership, with Oman being India’s closest defence partner in the Gulf region. Oman is the first Gulf country with which India conducts joint exercises involving all three services-Army, Navy and Air Force.
The two sides cooperate closely on maritime security in the Indian Ocean region and maintain regular defence dialogues through mechanisms such as the Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC). High-level exchanges between defence officials and participation in defence exhibitions such as Aero India have further strengthened ties. India and Oman also hold regular staff talks between their armed forces and coast guards.
Expanding economic and trade ties
Economic and commercial relations between India and Oman are robust and growing. Bilateral trade reached USD 10.61 billion in FY 2024-25, up from USD 8.95 billion in FY 2023-24. Oman is India’s 28th largest trading partner and a major source of energy imports, including crude oil and LNG.
India exports a wide range of products to Oman, including petroleum products, rice, machinery, electrical equipment, aircraft components, chemicals, plastics and steel. Imports from Oman are dominated by energy and industrial inputs such as crude oil, LNG, fertilisers, ammonia and sulphur.
Investment ties are also strong, with more than 6,000 India-Oman joint ventures operating in Oman across sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, energy, waste management, finance and technology. Indian investments have contributed an estimated USD 7.5 billion to Oman’s economy over time. Omani investments in India have also grown steadily, with cumulative FDI inflows crossing USD 600 million.
A key symbol of investment cooperation is the Oman-India Joint Investment Fund (OIJIF), a joint venture between the State Bank of India and the Oman Investment Authority, which is implementing its third tranche of USD 300 million announced in 2023. Another flagship project is the Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO), a joint venture producing fertilisers for the Indian market.
Broad-based cooperation and agreements
India and Oman have signed a wide range of agreements and MoUs covering areas such as defence, digital payments, health, IT, space, agriculture, civil aviation, maritime transport, taxation, manpower and cultural cooperation. Recent agreements have also focused on financial intelligence sharing, customs cooperation and employment of accompanying family members of officials.
The two sides maintain several institutional mechanisms, including the Joint Commission Meeting, Strategic Consultative Group and Joint Working Groups, to guide and monitor cooperation.
Cultural links and Indian community
Cultural ties remain a strong foundation of the bilateral relationship. Oman hosts a large Indian community of around 6.7 lakh people, many of whom have lived in the country for generations and play a key role in sectors such as healthcare, engineering, education and business. The contribution of the Indian diaspora to Oman’s development is widely acknowledged.
India and Oman have undertaken initiatives to preserve shared heritage, including the digitisation of historical records of Indian diaspora families in Oman and academic lecture series highlighting centuries-old links. The presence of Indian schools, temples, churches and gurudwaras reflects the close social and cultural integration of the community.
Several members of the Indian community in Oman have been honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for their contributions to strengthening bilateral ties.
Looking ahead
With strong political trust, growing economic engagement, deep defence cooperation and vibrant people-to-people ties, India-Oman relations continue to move on an upward trajectory. Both sides have reiterated their commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership in line with shared regional interests and global responsibilities, setting the stage for closer collaboration in the years ahead.
