India-Kuwait: Modernising the agenda for ancient ties
Hindustan Times Thane|December 21, 2024
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's visit to Kuwait from December 21-22, coming 43 years after the last such visit by an Indian PM, marks a major milestone for ties and is set to reinvigorate the deep-rooted friendship between our two countries.
Ajai Malhotra

India-Kuwait linkages go back to ancient times, with recent excavations showing that connections between the Indian west coast and the Kuwait region pre-date the Indus Valley and Mesopotamian civilisations. Kuwait's strategic position made it a natural trading hub linking India, Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean. Guided by monsoon winds, Kuwaiti dhows navigated the Indian coastline from Gujarat to Kerala, fostering robust commercial ties and interaction with local communities.

India was a major market for Kuwaiti pearls, Arabian horses, and Basra dates, which were traded for our spices, textiles and food products. The emergence of Mikimoto cultured pearls in the 1920s and the Great Depression of 1929 disrupted the natural pearls market while surging oil revenues following the discovery of oil in Kuwait in the 1930s delivered a deadly blow to it.

Reflective of our close commercial ties, the Indian rupee was the official currency in Kuwait till its independence in 1961.

Kuwait has, for many decades, been a major crude oil supplier to India, meeting about 3% of our current energy needs, while Indian companies have provided valuable expertise and services to Kuwait's oil and gas sector.

Nonetheless, our cooperation deserves to go beyond a purely crude oil trading buyer-seller relationship to encompass wider interaction in oil and gas. Indian companies like L&T and Kalpataru Power have been active in securing and successfully completing major energy-related construction contracts in Kuwait.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 21, 2024-Ausgabe von Hindustan Times Thane.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 21, 2024-Ausgabe von Hindustan Times Thane.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS HINDUSTAN TIMES THANEAlle anzeigen
Hindustan Times Thane

Big win for Liverpool, Everton hold Chelsea

Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a dominant but chaotic 6-3 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday thanks to doubles from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah.

time-read
1 min  |
December 23, 2024
Hindustan Times Thane

Atletico seal late win at Barca, top La Liga

Atletico Madrid came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Barcelona and claim leadership of La Liga on Saturday.

time-read
1 min  |
December 23, 2024
Hindustan Times Thane

Lenders auction more gold as Reserve Bank steps up scrutiny

Companies lending against gold are auctioning the collateral in higher quantities to recover stressed loans, at a time of rising regulatory scrutiny over the sector.

time-read
1 min  |
December 23, 2024
Hindustan Times Thane

DAMANI NIXES BAT PICK FOR CHAIR OF VST INDUSTRIES

Top billionaire investor and D-Mart promoter Radhakishan Damani opposed the candidate for chairmanship proposed by British American Tobacco (BAT) for its Indian unit VST Industries Ltd, leading to his rejection at a shareholder vote, according to voting disclosures and an executive privy to the development.

time-read
1 min  |
December 23, 2024
Hindustan Times Thane

Dozen auto firms set to be excluded from PLI scheme

These automobile companies have not been able to start investing as planned

time-read
2 Minuten  |
December 23, 2024
Hindustan Times Thane

Apex auto tester looks to accelerate to green lane

India's primary vehicle research and testing body plans to expand facilities that are focused on so-called new energy vehicles, seeking to keep pace with the government's rapidly accelerating green mobility drive.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
December 23, 2024
Hindustan Times Thane

Angry questions in Germany after Christmas market attack

The head of the far-left BSW party, Sahra Wagenknecht, demanded that Interior Minister Nancy Faeser explain why so many tips and warnings were ignored beforehand

time-read
2 Minuten  |
December 23, 2024
Hindustan Times Thane

Need to make India's roads accident-free

The tragic incident in Bengaluru, where a container truck lost balance and fell atop a car (a brand that is arguably the safest in the world), crushing it and killing its occupants, highlight three reasons why India has among the most unsafe roads in the world.

time-read
1 min  |
December 23, 2024
Hindustan Times Thane

Foreign policy experts must listen to the street

In his address at the launch of India's World - a magazine focused on India's foreign policy - on December 15, external affairs minister S Jaishankar made an unconventional argument.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
December 23, 2024
Hindustan Times Thane

Brisk liquor sales on AIX's first Surat-Bangkok flight

Air India Express’ inaugural 4-hour flight from Surat in Gujarat to Thailand capital Bangkok saw good sales of liquor onboard, with some passengers taking to social media to claim the stock ran out.

time-read
1 min  |
December 23, 2024