New Delhi, Feb 18 : India and Qatar are set to strengthen their economic and trade ties with the India-Qatar Joint Business Forum, scheduled to be held here on Tuesday.

The event takes place on the sidelines of the visit of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, to India from February 17-18. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, will also participate in the meeting, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

The joint business forum will be organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with the Centre's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), which will convene top business leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to explore investment opportunities, technological collaboration, and economic partnerships.

The high-level Qatari delegation includes leading enterprises from energy, infrastructure, finance, technology, food security, logistics, advanced manufacturing, and innovation.

The forum will feature three panel discussions which include one on investment as a vehicle to build a long-term strategic partnership between India and Qatar, and a second on cooperating and leveraging competencies in the fields of logistics, advanced manufacturing, and food security. Another discussion will be held on promoting and strengthening cooperation in futuristic areas such as AI, innovation, and sustainability.

These discussions will enable Indian and Qatari businesses to explore joint ventures, foreign direct investment (FDI), technology partnerships, and policy-driven collaborations. Representatives from both governments and leading industry players will contribute to shaping a forward-looking trade and investment framework.

India and Qatar enjoy a robust economic partnership, with bilateral trade expanding across multiple sectors. Qatari firms have invested in India's technology, infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors, while Indian companies have established a strong presence in Qatar.

The forum will highlight strategic investment opportunities aligned with Make in India, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and India's infrastructure growth initiatives. Key areas for investment include logistics, warehousing, ports, airports, railways and highways, semiconductors, food security, tech and innovation, space, biosciences, banking and fintech, smart cities, pharmaceuticals, electric vehicles, and renewable energy. Additionally, the India-Qatar Startup Bridge is fostering innovation-driven partnerships in AI, fintech, and deep tech, to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.

With India emerging as a global hub for manufacturing, technology, and entrepreneurship, this forum serves as a crucial platform to enhance business-to-business (B2B) and government-to-business (G2B) engagements.

It aims to deepen industry collaboration between Indian and Qatari businesses, facilitate foreign direct investment (FDI) and joint ventures and promote technology transfer and innovation partnerships.

The forum also works to strengthen trade through policy reforms and strategic agreements and underscores the shared vision of India and Qatar for long-term economic cooperation, reinforcing their commitment to fostering trade, investment, and innovation across key sectors, the official statement added.

/IANS