Interview with Munu Mahawar, Indian Ambassador in Oman

Interview with Munu Mahawar, Indian Ambassador in Oman1

1 This interview was given to the authors for this book.

Munu Mahawar, Ambassador of India in Oman

India and Oman have always enjoyed very close and friendly relations that go back to several thousands of years. Our two countries are maritime neighbours. We not only share common challenges, but our approaches to deal with these challenges are also similar. Both our countries are firm believers in promotion of peace and harmony. We seek friendship with everyone. Strong people-to-people ties have provided the foundation for India-Oman strategic partnership. There is a strong desire, both at people to people as well as leadership level, to further strengthen and expand our relations. There are also strong complementarities between our two economies – what Oman needs India can offer and what India needs Oman can offer. Even during the peak COVID-19 lockdown when supply chains all over the world were disrupted, supply chains between India and Oman remained functional. I believe that India-Oman relations will continue to grow and become even stronger in the coming years. This will benefit not only the peoples of our two countries but the entire region. I would like to take this opportunity to extend to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and the government and friendly people of Oman, heartiest felicitations and best wishes on the occasion of the 50th National Day. We look forward to working closely to further develop our relationship.

Fresh opportunities in current economic relations

As I mentioned, relations between India and Oman go back to several thousands of years which essentially started as trade links. In recent years, we have developed vibrant economic ties. Both our countries have made significant investments into each other’s economies. Collaborative projects like Oman India Fertilizers Company are examples of this successful, mutually beneficial economic partnership. Our trade has also witnessed growth, although it is not reflecting the true potential. There are several areas in which our two countries have strong complementarities and there is scope for strengthening our cooperation. We believe that India can be a strong partner in key priority areas identified by the Government of Oman, namely, manufacturing, mining, tourism, logistics, healthcare, agriculture and fisheries. Likewise, we see Oman as an important partner in our efforts to achieve a self-reliant India. As an Embassy, we are working closely with the Government of Oman as well as authorities concerned on the Indian side towards enhancing our economic engagement. We recently (October 2020) had a very productive meeting of the India-Oman Joint Commission which undertook a thorough review of our economic partnership. We are also facilitating closer contacts among business representatives in various sectors.

Indian investments in Oman

Indian companies have made significant investments in Oman. Indian companies are among the largest investors in Omani Free Zones. Oman’s location, availability of land, low utility costs, well-developed infrastructure, attractive incentives and its international trade agreements make it an attractive destination for Indian investments. The recent decisions of the Government of Oman to allow 100% foreign ownership as well as other legislative reforms will help generate greater interest among Indian businessmen to look at Oman as a possible investment destination. In terms of sectors, existing Indian investments are already quite diversified. However, I feel that some of the priority areas identified in Oman’s Vision 2040 and Tanfeed program, such as mining, manufacturing, logistics and agriculture are of interest to Indian companies. Further, India can be a strong partner in Oman’s efforts to improve its health-care infrastructure as well as build a digital economy. There are also opportunities in oil & gas sector, both upstream and downstream.

Omani investment in India

It is true that many Omani companies have invested in India, directly, as well as through Oman India Joint Investment Fund. Indian economy has experienced

sustained high growth rate before COVID-19 and post-COVID too, India is expected to have the sharpest recovery. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self Reliant India) campaign that seeks to build a resilient economy. Under this vision, we do seek to forge closer investment and technology partnership with our friends and partners, including Oman. We see huge opportunities for Omani companies to benefit from India’s growth. In particular, we see opportunities in the infrastructure sector where the government envisages investments to the tune of US$ 1.4 trillion by 2025. There are huge opportunities in sectors such as power, transport, water and sanitation, renewable energy, education, health and even in real estate sectors.

The new government in Oman

We deeply appreciate the strong interest and commitment that the Government of Oman has shown under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik towards strengthening the India-Oman partnership. In all my interactions with the members of the new government in Oman, they have expressed strong interest in deepening and expanding engagements with India. We have also worked very closely with the Government of Oman during the COVID-19 period and we appreciate the support that the Government has provided to the Indian community in this challenging time. On our part also, we extended support as required by Oman, including for sourcing of supplies and return of healthcare professionals. As I said earlier, there is strong interest in the Indian leadership to forge closer ties with Oman and they look forward to working closely with our Omani friends towards this objective. Looking ahead, I would like to see more intensified high-level engagements to give guidance and momentum to our efforts towards expansion of our relations.

Initiatives on enhansing socio-cultural relations

The India-Oman strategic partnership rests on the foundation of a strong socio-cultural connect between our two peoples. The large Indian diaspora in Oman is socially very active and regularly organizes events, including under the aegis of the Indian Social Club, to promote the bonds of friendship and to showcase Indian culture. The Embassy has organized several events to strengthen these links such as India-Oman Joint Art Exhibition. We are also promoting stronger collaboration between the two National Museums. Yoga has become very popular in Oman and the celebration of International Day of Yoga witnesses huge participation. We would like to see more events in India to showcase the rich Omani culture and also document our historical links. We are also exploring the possibility of collaborating on heritage projects. This publication which is being brought out by Oman Daily Observer will also create greater awareness among Indians and Omanis about our broader relationship.

Human resource development

The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) is driven by the Indian philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ - the whole world is one family. Through the ITEC we work closely with our friends and partners to share our expertise and experience towards human resource development and capacity building. Under this programme India offers 14,000 slots for training to 160 partner countries. We are happy that our collaboration with Oman has been very successful and a number of Omani friends have benefited from participating in these programmes. Every year, more than 100 Omanis participate in ITEC programs. We have organized special training programme for Omani Ministries and Government organizations. While COVID-19 has disrupted some of these programmes, we have temporarily switched to online training. I am happy that some of our Omani friends have also participated in these online programmes. We would like to scale up our cooperation in this crucial area of human resource development and capacity building.