Bahrain is home to a thriving Indian community, with the expatriate group dubbing the kingdom as ‘home away from home’.
The endearing relationship that the two countries share is rooted in cultural and economic exchanges, tracing back to the Dilmun and Indus periods.
Over the years, this mutually enriching partnership has grown, with bilateral trade reaching $1.73 billion in 2023-24, and the trade gap reducing to a marginal $80 million.
Today, India remains among the kingdom’s top five trading partners and the sixth largest investor.
Two-way investments have increased around 40 per cent since 2019, with the cumulative currently standing at more than $1.84bn until the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, as per Bahrain’s open data portal.
The successful visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 paved the way for a new era of relations between the two nations.
Fast forward to India’s External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s visit last month, which further boosted the multifaceted ties.
Mr Jaishankar, who co-chaired the fourth India-Bahrain High Joint Commission (HJC) with Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, underlined deep-rooted historical relations between the countries and the remarkable role of the Indian community in supporting development in the kingdom.
He pointed out the great progress made in the trade and investment fields, calling on Bahraini investors to explore the opportunities in India.
He also expressed keenness on enhancing co-operation in new areas like space, education and financial technology.
During his visit, Mr Jaishankar participated in the 20th edition of IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies) Manama Dialogue, which was held at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain. He affirmed that the GCC was more than just an ‘energy partner’ for India.
Mr Jaishankar highlighted that the bilateral trade between the Gulf and India amounted to almost $180m, also pointing out that 60m Indians were living in the region, as previously reported in the GDN.
According to the Indian embassy’s website, the presence of close to 340,000 Indian nationals who comprise nearly a quarter of the total population of 1.5m in Bahrain is an important anchor of the bilateral relations.
Mr Jaishankar noted that naval co-operation has gained momentum, with 30 Indian Navy vessels responding to 24 incidents, escorting 250 ships and rescuing 120 crew members in the Gulf of Aden and Northern Arabian Sea region.
India intends to increase its bilateral exercises ‘both in the Gulf and the wider Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region’, he added.
Mr Jaishankar also visited the 200-year old Shrinathji Temple in Manama, calling it a ‘true symbol of longstanding India-Bahrain friendship’. The temple will undergo a major transformation, including two impressive state-of-the-art halls, three meditation areas, offices, a knowledge centre and a museum, in a three-storey structure.
Further cementing the partnership, India’s the-then Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani met Bahrain’s Sustainable Development Minister Noor Al Khulaif in January last year, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. They discussed ways to enhance Bahraini-Indian co-operation in a way that would achieve development goals and ensure their sustainability.
In September, the Bahrain Economic Development Board staged a successful week-long road show across Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai cities, securing investment commitments valued at just under $33m from leading Indian companies across multiple sectors.
Supported by Bahrain EDB, in November, Polymatech Electronics, a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, announced plans to invest $100m in a new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Bahrain.
Packing solutions provider Chemco and diversified Indian conglomerate Bhageria Industries expanded their operations and production capabilities in the kingdom, with the latter securing a 10-year turnkey contract to develop an 11.40 MW solar project at Khalifa Bin Salman Port.
The food and beverage and hospitality sectors witnessed developments too, with Indian Hotels Company announcing the launch of two luxury properties in Bahrain under its iconic Taj brand.
This was followed by Indian multinational snack food company and restaurant chain Bikanervala opening its first outlet in Bahrain in September.
On the tourism front, the Indian Air Force’s Sarang Helicopter team visited the kingdom with their Dhruv helicopters, showcasing spectacular aerial displays during one of the island’s much-awaited public events, the Bahrain International Airshow, which was staged in November at the Sakhir Air Base.
Bahrain has announced plans to attract 14.1m tourists by 2026 as part of its new 2022-2026 tourism strategy under the Economic Recovery Plan.
Indian weddings have comprised an increasing part of tourism-generated revenue since 2017. Fourteen international weddings took place in Bahrain in the first quarter of 2023, and since 2017, the kingdom has hosted more than 60 such events, attracting more than 20,000 guests from around the world.
The future of Bahrain and India’s partnership is bright, with extensive scope for further growth.
A major credit for this goes to Mr Modi’s ‘Look West’ policy, which has strengthened Indian-Arab ties. And while the partnership might have been traditionally based on energy and the Indian diaspora, India has since sought to enhance co-operation in various fields such as trade, energy, security, and technology, which will continue in the years to come.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
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