Lok Sabha Question No. 1678 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-27
Subject: Trade with GCC
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Naba (Hira) Kumar Sarania

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1678 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 th  JULY, 2022

## TRADE WITH GCC

## 1678. SHRI NABA KUMAR SARANIA:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India's trade with the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) is growing at a fast pace;
- (b) if so, the details of India's total exports to the Gulf countries during the last five years;
- (c) the details of requirements for India's trade with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC);
- (d) whether NRIs constitute half of the Gulf countries and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether Startup Bridge has been launched between Invest India and Invest Qatar to accelerate Startup sector in both the countries and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether Assam tea is being exported to such Gulf countries and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

- (a) : Bilateral Trade between India and the GCC grew from US$ 87.35 billion in FY 2020-21 to US$ 154.66 billion in FY 2021-22, registering an increase of 77.06% on a year-on-year basis. Since FY 2017-18, on a compounded annual growth rate basis, bilateral trade between India and the GCC has grown by 10.57%.

(b) : Details of India's exports to the GCC during the last five financial years is as follows:

| India's Exports to GCC   | India's Exports to GCC   | India's Exports to GCC   | India's Exports to GCC   | India's Exports to GCC   | India's Exports to GCC   | India's Exports to GCC   |
|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| Values in USD Billion    | Values in USD Billion    | Values in USD Billion    | Values in USD Billion    | Values in USD Billion    | Values in USD Billion    | Values in USD Billion    |
| S.No.                    | Country                  | 2017-2018                | 2018-2019                | 2019-2020                | 2020-2021                | 2021-2022                |
| 1                        | BAHRAIN                  | 0.56                     | 0.74                     | 0.56                     | 0.53                     | 0.90                     |
| 2                        | KUWAIT                   | 1.37                     | 1.33                     | 1.29                     | 1.05                     | 1.24                     |
| 3                        | OMAN                     | 2.44                     | 2.25                     | 2.26                     | 2.36                     | 3.15                     |
| 4                        | QATAR                    | 1.47                     | 1.61                     | 1.27                     | 1.28                     | 1.84                     |
| 5                        | SAUDI ARABIA             | 5.41                     | 5.56                     | 6.24                     | 5.86                     | 8.76                     |
| 6                        | UAE                      | 28.15                    | 30.13                    | 28.85                    | 16.68                    | 28.04                    |
|                          | GCC Total                | 39.39                    | 41.62                    | 40.47                    | 27.76                    | 43.93                    |

Source: DGCIS

(c): India and the six GCC countries are members of the multilateral trading system, the World Trade Organisation  (WTO). India and the UAE recently concluded a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that entered into force on 01 May 2022. Like any other partner  country  in  the  WTO/  bilateral  Free  Trade  Agreements,  trade  with  GCC  countries  also entails  adhering  to  relevant  customs  laws  and  procedures  of  India  and  the  respective  partner countries under the existing trade Agreements, which includes, inter alia, customs duties, technical standards, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, export and import licencing measures, labelling, packaging and marketing requirements, and any other relevant rules and regulations of India and the partner countries.

(d):  As per last figures provided by local authorities in Gulf countries, the estimated number of non-resident Indians (NRIs) currently residing in Gulf countries is as follows:

|   S.No. | Country              |   Estimated No. of NRIs residing in the country (In Lakh) |
|---------|----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Bahrain              |                                                      3.2  |
|       2 | Kuwait               |                                                     10.29 |
|       3 | Muscat               |                                                      6.26 |
|       4 | Qatar                |                                                      7.8  |
|       5 | Saudi Arabia         |                                                     21.6  |
|       6 | United Arab Emirates |                                                     35    |

(e):  Yes. A Startup Bridge has been launched in collaboration with Invest India, the Embassy of India  in  Doha,  Qatar,  and  Invest  Qatar.  The  India-Qatar  Startup  Bridge  was  launched  by  the Hon'ble Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu during the India-Qatar Business Forum held in Doha on 5th June 2022. The collaboration of these two fast-paced and ever-growing ecosystems will result in long-term economic growth and prosperity for both countries. More information of this StartUp Bridge is available on the following website of Startup India:

https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/international/india-qatar-bridge.html

(f):    As  merchant  exporters  of  tea  export  blended  teas  by  mixing  teas  from  different  regions, including  Assam,  in  order  to  cater  to  the  requirements  of  different  buyers  located  in  various countries,  including  the  GCC  countries,  the  exact  volume  of  Assam  tea  exports  to  the  GCC countries cannot be estimated.

*****