Cabinet approves India-Oman trade pact; may be signed during PM’s Oman visit on Dec 17-18

The Union Cabinet has approved the India-Oman trade pact, with signing possible during the Prime Minister's visit on December 17-18. Oman is a significant Gulf trading partner, and a formal agreement would smooth tariff treatment for metal and mineral flows in both directions. Exporters will parse the schedules for lines covering steel, alloys and raw materials, while the pact also slots into India's wider Gulf strategy — closer trade ties with the region that supplies energy and, increasingly, buys Indian industrial goods.