Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi signed a Joint Statement in New Delhi on Tuesday, formally launching negotiations for an India–GCC Free Trade Agreement. While headlines focused on the bloc’s US $178 billion goods trade with India, an accompanying concept paper confirms that a dedicated ‘Mobility and Business Travel’ chapter will be on the table. (businesstoday.in)
According to officials familiar with the terms of reference, negotiators will examine short-term multiple-entry visas for service providers, recognition of professional qualifications and a pilot Trusted Business Traveller card modelled on APEC’s scheme. The Gulf states rely on over 8 million Indian workers—mainly blue-collar—but the proposed measures target mid- and senior-level talent in IT, construction management and healthcare where skill shortages are acute.
![India and GCC kick-off free-trade talks; mobility chapter to explore fast-track visas for professionals]()
For companies and professionals preparing to seize these emerging mobility opportunities, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork maze. Through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the service guides users through Gulf visa requirements, handles document attestation and tracks applications in real time—making cross-border assignments smoother while negotiators hammer out the final FTA details.
If concluded, the agreement could allow Indian engineers to deliver projects across Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia on a single permit, and enable GCC companies to send managers to India for installation and after-sales support without separate employment visas. Industry chambers such as Nasscom and FICCI plan to submit detailed wish-lists before the first negotiating round in April.
Experts caution that labour-market nationalisation policies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE may complicate talks. Nonetheless, mobility provisions have become standard in India’s recent FTAs with Australia and the UK, suggesting political momentum for a breakthrough.
According to officials familiar with the terms of reference, negotiators will examine short-term multiple-entry visas for service providers, recognition of professional qualifications and a pilot Trusted Business Traveller card modelled on APEC’s scheme. The Gulf states rely on over 8 million Indian workers—mainly blue-collar—but the proposed measures target mid- and senior-level talent in IT, construction management and healthcare where skill shortages are acute.
For companies and professionals preparing to seize these emerging mobility opportunities, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork maze. Through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the service guides users through Gulf visa requirements, handles document attestation and tracks applications in real time—making cross-border assignments smoother while negotiators hammer out the final FTA details.
If concluded, the agreement could allow Indian engineers to deliver projects across Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia on a single permit, and enable GCC companies to send managers to India for installation and after-sales support without separate employment visas. Industry chambers such as Nasscom and FICCI plan to submit detailed wish-lists before the first negotiating round in April.
Experts caution that labour-market nationalisation policies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE may complicate talks. Nonetheless, mobility provisions have become standard in India’s recent FTAs with Australia and the UK, suggesting political momentum for a breakthrough.
