In Manama on 29 December, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal and Bahraini counterpart Eman Al-Doseri exchanged Terms of Reference to launch talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). While headlines focus on tariff cuts, mobility is central: Bahraini officials confirmed that India pressed for a dedicated chapter on temporary entry of businesspersons, healthcare workers and hospitality staff, sectors where Gulf labour shortages are acute.
A joint working group on Trade and Investment will now draft text covering mutual recognition of qualifications and expedited multiple-entry visas for assignments of up to 90 days. Indian construction giants Larsen & Toubro and Shapoorji Pallonji, already key contractors in Bahrain, say faster permit cycles could shave weeks off project mobilisation.
Professionals eager to seize these new opportunities can simplify the paperwork through VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), which provides step-by-step guidance for Bahraini business, work and visit visas. The platform assembles required documentation, tracks applications in real time and keeps users updated on the latest CEPA-related policy changes—making it a handy bridge while the two governments fine-tune their mobility rules.
![India and Bahrain kick-off CEPA negotiations, eye smoother movement of professionals and goods]()
For India, the Gulf remains the largest destination for overseas workers—over 9 million Indians reside in GCC states—and remittances from the bloc crossed US $50 billion last fiscal. The CEPA could standardise grievance-redress mechanisms and improve employer-transferability for Indian professionals, addressing long-standing welfare concerns.
Negotiators hope to conclude the pact within a year, mirroring the fast-tracked UAE-India CEPA signed in 2022. Trade chambers on both sides are optimistic: “A mobility-friendly CEPA will turbo-charge fintech and renewable-energy collaboration,” said Abdulnabi Al-Shola of the Bahrain India Society.
If successful, the agreement will strengthen India’s footprint in the Middle East and offer corporates a rule-based pathway for rotating talent between South Asia and the Gulf.
A joint working group on Trade and Investment will now draft text covering mutual recognition of qualifications and expedited multiple-entry visas for assignments of up to 90 days. Indian construction giants Larsen & Toubro and Shapoorji Pallonji, already key contractors in Bahrain, say faster permit cycles could shave weeks off project mobilisation.
Professionals eager to seize these new opportunities can simplify the paperwork through VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), which provides step-by-step guidance for Bahraini business, work and visit visas. The platform assembles required documentation, tracks applications in real time and keeps users updated on the latest CEPA-related policy changes—making it a handy bridge while the two governments fine-tune their mobility rules.
For India, the Gulf remains the largest destination for overseas workers—over 9 million Indians reside in GCC states—and remittances from the bloc crossed US $50 billion last fiscal. The CEPA could standardise grievance-redress mechanisms and improve employer-transferability for Indian professionals, addressing long-standing welfare concerns.
Negotiators hope to conclude the pact within a year, mirroring the fast-tracked UAE-India CEPA signed in 2022. Trade chambers on both sides are optimistic: “A mobility-friendly CEPA will turbo-charge fintech and renewable-energy collaboration,” said Abdulnabi Al-Shola of the Bahrain India Society.
If successful, the agreement will strengthen India’s footprint in the Middle East and offer corporates a rule-based pathway for rotating talent between South Asia and the Gulf.
