Policy Update
Simona Miriam Hughes
Background:
India and Oman share one of India’s oldest and most strategically significant relationships in the Gulf and Indian Ocean region. Their historical connections go back centuries, while formal diplomatic relations were established in 1955. Bilateral relations were elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2008, reflecting the growing importance of defence, maritime security, trade and regional cooperation. Oman occupies a particularly important position in India’s West Asia policy because of its location at the entrance to the Gulf and close to major Indian Ocean sea lanes.
The partnership has progressively moved beyond traditional political and cultural relations. Defence cooperation has become one of its main pillars, with Oman described as India’s closest defence partner in the Gulf. All three branches of the Indian armed forces conduct joint exercises with Oman, while the two countries have also institutionalised maritime cooperation through mechanisms such as the Joint Maritime Committee.
The wider context of the partnership is the growing strategic importance of the Indian Ocean. In his keynote address at the 8th Indian Ocean Conference in Muscat on 16 February 2025, Dr. S. Jaishankar emphasised India’s commitment to stronger maritime partnerships and cooperation across the Indian Ocean. The conference itself highlighted Oman as an important meeting point between India’s West Asia and Indian Ocean policies.
The 2026 phase of India–Oman relations can therefore be viewed against two interconnected developments: the deepening of bilateral strategic cooperation and increasing concern regarding the security of maritime routes, particularly those connecting the Gulf, Arabian Sea and wider Indian Ocean.
Functioning:
The India–Oman Strategic Partnership functions through a combination of high-level political engagement, defence and security mechanisms, maritime cooperation, economic institutions and regional forums.
Regular high-level visits provide the political foundation of the relationship. Oman remains an important Indian interlocutor not only bilaterally but also in regional institutions such as the GCC, Arab League and IORA. The relationship is supported by mechanisms including the India–Oman Joint Commission Meeting and the India–Oman Strategic Consultative Group.
Defence is the strongest strategic dimension of the partnership. India and Oman cooperate through the Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC), while maritime issues are addressed through institutional engagement such as the Joint Maritime Committee. The two countries have also developed cooperation involving naval forces, coast guards and joint exercises. This is particularly significant because Oman provides India with a trusted strategic partner in the north-western Indian Ocean and near the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.
Jaishankar’s Indian Ocean Conference address provides a broader policy framework. India’s approach stresses that the future of the region depends on stronger cooperation among littoral states, maritime connectivity and collective responses to common challenges. Thus, bilateral India–Oman cooperation is not isolated; it contributes to India’s wider vision of a stable, cooperative and secure Indian Ocean.
Economic cooperation increasingly complements strategic engagement. Recent developments have strengthened India’s commercial relationship with Oman, including the India–Oman CEPA signed in December 2025, while its implementation from June 2026 has further increased the importance of Oman’s ports as gateways towards West Asia, East Africa and North Africa. This creates an important connection between economic diplomacy and maritime strategy.
Performance:
The performance of the India–Oman partnership can be assessed through institutional continuity and expansion of cooperation, rather than only through a single policy outcome.
One of the major achievements has been the sustained institutionalisation of defence cooperation. India and Oman have maintained the JMCC process, expanded military engagement and continued cooperation across the three services. Oman is also the first Gulf country with which all three wings of the Indian armed forces have been able to conduct joint exercises.
Economic relations have also remained significant. Bilateral trade has been recorded at US$8.947 billion in FY 2023–24, demonstrating the substantial economic base of the relationship. The subsequent CEPA represents an effort to expand this relationship further and integrate trade with wider connectivity objectives.
Another important performance indicator is the growing strategic use of Oman’s geography. Ports such as Duqm, Sohar and Salalah have become important for India’s commercial and regional connectivity. Their location allows Oman to potentially serve as a link between India and markets in the Gulf, Africa and the wider Indian Ocean region.
Impact:
The most important impact of the partnership is on India’s strategic presence and engagement in the western Indian Ocean.
First, Oman strengthens India’s ability to engage the Gulf and the Indian Ocean as interconnected strategic spaces. India’s interests in energy security, trade and diaspora relations depend heavily on maritime routes through this region.
Second, the partnership contributes to the objective of maintaining safe and uninterrupted maritime flows. This has become increasingly important amid insecurity affecting regional waterways. Jaishankar has subsequently stressed the importance of safe and unimpeded maritime flows through critical waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
Third, the relationship strengthens India’s broader role as a security and development partner in the Indian Ocean. Cooperation with Oman allows India to build partnerships with key littoral states rather than approach Indian Ocean security exclusively through major-power competition.
Fourth, increased economic and port connectivity may produce strategic effects beyond bilateral trade. Oman’s location can support India’s commercial access to West Asia, East Africa and North Africa, linking economic policy with India’s wider connectivity strategy.
Emerging Issues:
Regional instability and maritime security remain major concerns for India and Oman. Conflicts and tensions in the Gulf, Red Sea and adjoining maritime regions can disrupt shipping, trade and energy supplies. At the same time, threats to commercial vessels, piracy and other non-traditional security challenges require continued cooperation. India and Oman should therefore strengthen maritime dialogue, information-sharing, maritime domain awareness and cooperation between their naval and coast guard forces.
Another challenge is the need to move from regular defence exercises towards deeper operational coordination. Although existing military and naval exercises demonstrate strong mutual trust, both countries need more practical mechanisms to respond to maritime crises and emergencies. Strengthening institutional mechanisms such as the Joint Maritime Committee and conducting crisis-management and emergency-response exercises could make their maritime cooperation more effective.
Economic and geopolitical challenges also require careful attention. The benefits of CEPA and growing port connectivity will depend on better infrastructure, logistics, customs procedures and private-sector participation. At the same time, both India and Oman maintain relations with multiple regional and global powers and seek to preserve flexibility in their foreign policies. Their strategic partnership should therefore remain based on shared interests, strategic autonomy and issue-based cooperation rather than rigid geopolitical alignments.
Way Forward:
India–Oman relations demonstrate how India’s West Asia policy and Indian Ocean strategy are increasingly interconnected. The next phase should focus on transforming political trust into more concrete outcomes in maritime security, defence technology, port connectivity, trade and regional crisis management.
The 2026 engagement should therefore not be viewed merely as another diplomatic visit. It represents a broader strategic process in which Oman is becoming increasingly important to India’s western Indian Ocean strategy. The partnership’s future effectiveness will depend on whether both countries can convert their established institutional mechanisms into measurable cooperation on maritime security and connectivity.
The way forward should focus on three priorities: institutionalising maritime cooperation, strengthening connectivity through Oman’s ports, and linking bilateral initiatives with wider Indian Ocean regional cooperation. In this respect, the strategic value of Oman lies not only in its bilateral relationship with India but also in its geographical position connecting the Gulf, Arabian Sea and wider Indian Ocean.
Selected References and Important Links:
India Foundation. (2025). “8th Indian Ocean Conference 2025: Voyage to new horizons of maritime partnership”. Indian Ocean Conference website
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. (2025, February 16). “Keynote address by EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar at Indian Ocean Conference 2025: Voyage to new horizons of maritime partnership”. Ministry of External Affairs
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. (2026). “India–Oman bilateral relations”. India–Oman 2026 bilateral brief (PDF)
Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. (2026). “Visit of External Affairs Minister to the Sultanate of Oman”. Ministry of External Affairs press release
About the Contributor:
Simona Miriam Hughes is a research and editorial associate intern at IMPRI. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in International Relations at Loyola College and has worked in several Non Governmental Organisations during her Undergraduate years. She has attended the 2025 Global Citizenship programme which is associated with the Washington DC university
Acknowledgement:
The author would like to thank IMPRI and the reviewers for their valuable feedback and continuous support and encouragement in all the activities up until now
Reviewers:
Tanisha Hooda and Kavin
Disclaimer:
The content in the article belongs solely to the author and not exactly related to the organization
