PM Modi pitches CEPA as turning point for India-Oman trade at Muscat business summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman would shape bilateral ties for decades, calling it a “blueprint of our shared future”.

Addressing the India-Oman Business Summit in Muscat, the PM hailed the relationship shared by the two nations and also invited startups to grow together by investing and innovating in India.

“Today, we are making a historic decision whose echo will be heard for decades to come. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will fill us with new trust and new energy in the 21st century. This is a blueprint of our shared future. This will boost our trade, give a new confidence to investment and open new doors to opportunities in every sector...” Modi said.


PM Modi also said the gathering would accelerate the partnership and give it fresh direction. “The Summit today India-Oman partnership will give a new direction, new speed, and help it reach new heights. In this, all of you play a big role,” he said, adding that he was visiting Oman after seven years and that the participation of business leaders was motivating.




The Prime Minister, who is in Oman as part of his three-nation tour, anchored the economic message in history, pointing to centuries-old maritime links. “You represent India–Oman business, our trade. You are the successors of that heritage which has had a prosperous history of centuries. Since the dawn of civilisation, our ancestors have been doing maritime trade with each other,” he said. “The Arabian Sea between Mandvi and Muscat has become a strong bridge… Today, we can say confidently that the waves of sea can transform, seasons change but India-Oman friendship gets stronger every season and touches new heights with every wave.”

He said the relationship rests on trust and longevity. “Our relation is built on the foundation of trust, moved ahead on the strength of friendship and with time it further deepened. Today, our diplomatic relations have been in place for 70 years. This is not just a celebration of 70 years; this is a milestone where we have to centuries of our heritage towards a prosperous future,” Modi said.

Linking India’s growth to opportunities for Oman, the Prime Minister said India’s rise would benefit partners. “India’s nature has always been progressive and self-driven. Whenever India grows, it helps its friends grow as well,” he said. “Today, India is progressing towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy. This is beneficial for the entire world. However, it is even more beneficial for Oman because, in addition to being close friends, we are also maritime neighbours.”

He also underlined business familiarity between the two sides. “Our people know each other well. We have generations of trust in our business relations, and we understand each other’s markets very well,” Modi said, urging companies to use the momentum from the summit to deepen trade and investment ties.