India-Oman Free Trade Agreement: PM Modi, Minister Piyush Goyal To Head Oman Next Week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal are likely to travel to Oman next week to sign a long-discussed free trade agreement, according to delegation sources. The visit is expected after final clearance from the Union Cabinet, which officials describe as a procedural step.

India and Oman have been working on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement since November 2023, with officials now saying the text and market access terms are settled. Both governments are currently handling internal approvals, and sources describe the signing of the deal as imminent.

India-Oman free trade agreement and CEPA timeline

Negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement began in November 2023, and three rounds of talks were held between November 2023 and March 2024. The Department of Commerce said the sides agreed on the full CEPA text and market access offers at the end of those discussions.

A Cabinet note on the India-Oman CEPA, submitted in March 2024, was not cleared at that stage, which led to further bargaining. A fourth negotiation round took place in September 2024, followed by a fifth round on January 13-14, 2025, mainly to exchange revised proposals.

Officials now say both countries are working through internal procedures before the final signing. However, those involved describe the approvals as near certain. One source said the delegation is already being informally assembled, with travel plans tied to the Cabinet’s formal nod.

"The Prime Minister and Commerce Minister are set to visit Oman next week, maybe on December 17-18, to sign the deal," a member of the likely delegation told The Hindu. "The exact dates of the trip and composition of delegation will be finalised after the Cabinet gives its approval, which is a formality at this point."

Other free trade agreement negotiations with New Zealand and EU

Speaking with reporters in Jaipur, Piyush Goyal said that discussions with Oman over a free trade agreement are in "their final stages". Goyal also revealed that New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay will be in New Delhi on Friday, December 12, 2025, for talks on a separate FTA.

On New Zealand, Goyal stressed that negotiations are reaching closure. "With them, too, our talks have reached the last stages," Mr Goyal said. Officials see these conversations as part of a wider Indian push to secure new market access through multiple parallel trade tracks.

Goyal also commented on talks with the European Union, after an EU delegation visited India over eight days, followed by a two-day trip by Maroš Šefčovič, EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security. He said both sides now share a broad understanding of a possible FTA framework.

"We discussed in great detail, and he [Šefčovič] met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and the broad contours of an FTA are ready," Mr. Goyal said. "I am confident that soon we will complete this as well."

U.S. talks on a bilateral free trade agreement

On India’s trade discussions with the United States, Goyal noted that an American negotiating team is currently in India and will remain until December 12. He described the engagement as constructive, with both sides working towards a possible bilateral trade deal.

Goyal offered only a short comment on the U.S. process, saying that "we are moving forward towards a Bilateral Trade Agreement". With parallel negotiations involving Oman, New Zealand, the European Union and the United States, trade officials see the coming months as important for India’s external economic strategy.