Qatar business forum in Doha highlights India's robust growth and FDI surge

At a Doha gathering of the Qatar Business Association, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman underscored India’s accelerating structural growth. She reported a 7.8% real GDP increase in the first quarter of FY26 and a 11.9% jump in investment, despite a volatile global backdrop. The minister welcomed Japan Credit Rating Agency’s upgrade of India’s long‑term rating to A‑, a vote of confidence in the country’s reform agenda. FY26 has already seen a record $94.53 billion in annual FDI inflows, the highest in fifteen years. Sitharaman reiterated the importance of expanding trade, especially through unhindered maritime traffic in the Hormuz Strait, and called for a strategic partnership that elevates bilateral economic cooperation.