Why Oman is a big factor in India’s West Asia calculus

If one were to seek a symbol for the enduring relationship between India and the Sultanate of Oman, the dhow would be it. For millennia, these timbered vessels have ridden the monsoon winds across the Arabian Sea, stitching together the fortunes of the subcontinent and the Gulf. It is a maritime intimacy so old that seals from the Indus Valley Civilisation have been unearthed at Ras al-Jinz, tracing a commercial lineage back four millennia.

India and Oman also have a more recent living memory. Until 1970—and lingering in transition until 1975—the currency in the pockets of Omani merchants was the Gulf rupee, issued by the Reserve Bank of India. That a sovereign nation used another’s currency till so recently speaks to a “friendship steeped in history” that few bilateral pairings can claim.

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With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recently concluded visit to Muscat the nature of this voyage is changing. The dhow, once laden with dates and spices, is being retrofitted with the steel of modern strategy. PM Modi’s visit marks the orientation of an ancient relationship towards a hard-nosed strategic future. The sentimental ties of the past are being fortified by the realities of a volatile Indian Ocean, where both nations now find themselves in the same boat, navigating rougher geopolitical seas.

Strategic Ballast

The most potent signal of this shift is the military. The strategic convergence is bringing the grit of logistics and “jointness”. Oman has quietly offered the Indian Navy logistics access to the port of Duqm, a facility sitting astride the vital sea lanes of the northwestern Indian Ocean. For India, seeking to project power and secure energy lines, Duqm is a geopolitical anchor.

This logistical embrace is matched by operational muscle. The two militaries have become frequent partners, drilling together in the dusty heat of Rabkoot and the skies over Masirah. Recent exercises—'Al Najah' for the armies, 'Eastern Bridge' for the air forces, and 'Naseem Al Bahr' for the navies—have honed a shared capability in counter-terrorism and desert warfare.

In a region often beset by sectarian squalls, Oman’s famed stability and India’s security imperatives have found a common cause. Both capitals view Gulf stability as a prerequisite for their economic survival. India has also bought 20 retired Jaguar fighter jets from Oman recently to use their spare parts for its desperately ageing wing.

The Ledger of Prosperity

If security provides the hull for this relationship, commerce provides the cargo. The visit is set to seal a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that promises to overhaul the bilateral ledger. Trade between the two nations already stood at $10.6 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, but the new pact aims to uncork bottlenecks that have long stifled potential.

For India tariffs vanish on some $3 billion worth of exports. The winners will be the weavers of textiles, the cutters of gems, and the manufacturers of automobiles and agrochemicals. Currently, 80 per cent of Indian goods crossing the Omani border face a 5 per cent tariff; the FTA slashes this, levelling the playing field.

In return, India, already Oman’s third-largest market for non-oil exports, will continue to absorb the Sultanate’s aluminium, limestone, and fertilisers. It is a deal that looks beyond the traditional exchange of hydrocarbons for labour, eyeing instead a future built on renewable energy and investment flows.

Sailing Ahead

The timing of India’s Oman embrace is no accident. Under Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Oman is modernising its economy and diversifying its partnerships, moving with a flexibility that belies its conservative reputation. For India, Oman is a reliable gateway to the Gulf, devoid of the hyper-political baggage that often accompanies ties with larger regional powers.

As PM Modi and Sultan Haitham have concluded their talks, the metaphor of the dhow returns, but with a new urgency. The vessel is seaworthy; its hull is proven by four thousand years of travel. But it is the flexibility shown by the Sultan and the strategic commitment from New Delhi that now provide the fresh winds to its sails. In a turbulent world, steady sailing is a prize in itself; India and Oman seem determined to catch the breeze together.

(The writer is a senior journalist with expertise in defence. Views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of Firstpost.)