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.
![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.
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.
Source: Economic Times
