India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are more likely to focus on points associated to meals safety, logistics and regulatory measures after they formally launch negotiations for a free commerce settlement (FTA) on Thursday.

GCC contains Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. In Might, India had applied an FTA with the UAE which is more likely to kind the idea for the pact with the GCC, stated officers.

“The GCC is eager to make sure meals safety whereas India’s issues relate to regulatory measures, particularly in some meals gadgets,” stated one of many officers, who didn’t want to be recognized.

The 2 sides had been earlier concerned in FTA talks in 2006 that are being resumed now. “The GCC had some inner points due to which talks had been caught,” stated one other official.
India might elevate points associated to sanitary and phytosanitary measures which pertain to meals security, animal and plant well being, because the grouping resorts to EU requirements for optimum residue stage in sure merchandise, stated individuals conscious of the matter.

“We would like them to think about a risk-based evaluation system,” stated the primary official.

With Qatar and Saudi Arabia developing as logistics hubs, these points are additionally more likely to be on the desk.

India’s exports to the GCC elevated 58.26% year-on-year to about $44 billion in 2021-22 from $27.8 billion.

India imports crude oil and pure fuel from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and exports pearls, treasured and semi-precious stones, metals, imitation jewelry, electrical equipment, iron and metal, and chemical compounds to the bloc. The GCC nations are a significant supply of overseas direct funding in India.

India has inked commerce pacts with the UAE, Mauritius and Australia lately and is in talks with the UK, EU and Canada.