Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal and Bahraini counterpart Eman Al-Doseri exchanged Terms of Reference in Manama on 29 December to launch negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). While headlines focus on tariff cuts, officials confirmed that India pressed for a dedicated chapter easing temporary entry for business visitors, healthcare workers and hospitality staff—sectors facing Gulf-wide labour shortages.
A joint working group will now craft text covering mutual recognition of qualifications and expedited multiple-entry visas for assignments of up to 90 days. Indian construction majors Larsen & Toubro and Shapoorji Pallonji say faster permit cycles could shave weeks off project mobilisation.
For companies looking to navigate Bahrain’s existing visa procedures during the negotiating phase, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides a streamlined way to verify requirements, assemble application documents and track submissions end-to-end. Delegating these formalities to VisaHQ allows HR teams and project leads to keep deployment timelines on track even as the regulatory landscape shifts.
![India & Bahrain open CEPA talks with dedicated chapter on professional mobility]()
The Gulf hosts over nine million Indian nationals and remits more than US$50 billion a year to India. A mobility-friendly CEPA could standardise grievance-redress mechanisms and improve employer-transferability, addressing long-standing welfare concerns among overseas workers.
Negotiators aim to conclude the pact within a year, mirroring the fast-tracked UAE-India CEPA signed in 2022. Trade chambers on both sides predict that streamlined mobility rules will turbo-charge fintech, green-energy and hospitality investment.
Until the agreement is finalised, HR teams deploying staff to Bahrain should continue applying for business visas three weeks in advance and monitor forthcoming pilot schemes that may test shorter processing windows.
A joint working group will now craft text covering mutual recognition of qualifications and expedited multiple-entry visas for assignments of up to 90 days. Indian construction majors Larsen & Toubro and Shapoorji Pallonji say faster permit cycles could shave weeks off project mobilisation.
For companies looking to navigate Bahrain’s existing visa procedures during the negotiating phase, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) provides a streamlined way to verify requirements, assemble application documents and track submissions end-to-end. Delegating these formalities to VisaHQ allows HR teams and project leads to keep deployment timelines on track even as the regulatory landscape shifts.
The Gulf hosts over nine million Indian nationals and remits more than US$50 billion a year to India. A mobility-friendly CEPA could standardise grievance-redress mechanisms and improve employer-transferability, addressing long-standing welfare concerns among overseas workers.
Negotiators aim to conclude the pact within a year, mirroring the fast-tracked UAE-India CEPA signed in 2022. Trade chambers on both sides predict that streamlined mobility rules will turbo-charge fintech, green-energy and hospitality investment.
Until the agreement is finalised, HR teams deploying staff to Bahrain should continue applying for business visas three weeks in advance and monitor forthcoming pilot schemes that may test shorter processing windows.
