Dear Sir,

India’s relations with the Gulf Arab world are centuries old. And these relations have been further cemented by the inflow of expatriate labour from India to the Gulf countries with the oil boom of the ’70s in the last century.
In this context, the current visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar (Gulf Times, June 5) assumes great significance. It heralds a new era in relations between the two countries.
This visit is especially important for  India’s energy security as the country gets almost two-third of its oil from the Gulf region.
The Gulf states’ investment policy has recently undergone a major shift and they are increasingly looking to the East for business opportunities. Prospects in India evoke much interest among them, especially since it has a stable governmental system rooted in democratic principles, an independent judiciary and a growing middle class.
There is a tremendous scope for business co-operation between governments and people of all Gulf states and India. India offers higher education facilities to Gulf youths at affordable costs. Qatar students can also benefit from information technology courses and can even get training in premier IT companies in India.
Trade between the two countries is flourishing. Bilateral trade touched around Rs15bn in 2014-15.
Qatar Investment authority (QIA), 100% owned by the government, has already started investing in India in some commercial real-estate projects. India can further look for more investments by QIA in the country’s mega infrastructure projects. There are more than 630,000 Indians working in Qatar, contributing to the state’s development.
The latest  landmark visit by Modi will further bolster the historical and cultural ties between Qatar and India  and bring the two nations still closer, helping to promote stability in a volatile region.

Ramesh G Jethwani, (e-mail address supplied)

Modi’s salute to Indian workers

Dear Sir,

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with a group of workers in Doha on the first day of his official visit to Qatar  was highly inspiring. His address to them was touching and made much sense.
Listen to what he said: “It is not the prime minister or anybody in the higher offices of the country that builds the image of a nation.
It is the people of the country who build up the image of their nation through their dedication, sincerity, diligence and honesty. You are the ones who represent the nation and your actions will help improve the status of the country in a big way.”
Saying those words, he was saluting the entire Indian workforce who are truly committed to Qatar’s development.
Thank you the Qatar government, the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Zarna Prashant Bhatt, (e-mail address supplied)

Please send us your  letters By e-mail: editor@gulf-times.com