India-Kuwait: Modernising the agenda for ancient ties
Hindustan Times Amritsar|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.

Bu hikaye Hindustan Times Amritsar dergisinin December 21, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Hindustan Times Amritsar dergisinin December 21, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

HINDUSTAN TIMES AMRITSAR DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Hindustan Times Amritsar

Focus on speed: New mantra for Arjuna-winning wrestler Aman

HAVING LOST TO JAPAN WRESTLERS AT ASIAD AND OLYMPICS, PARIS BRONZE WINNER SAYS TRAINING STINT IN JAPAN WAS EYE-OPENER

time-read
3 dak  |
January 03, 2025
Hindustan Times Amritsar

The transition is upon India: What will it lead to?

It's been coming for a while but now, it truly feels like the transition is upon us.

time-read
3 dak  |
January 03, 2025
Hindustan Times Amritsar

Cummins Likely To Miss Next Tour Of Sri Lanka

Australia captain Pat Cummins hinted that he may skip the tour of Sri Lanka later this month to be present for the birth of his second child.

time-read
1 min  |
January 03, 2025
Hindustan Times Amritsar

New Orleans attacker acted alone: FBI

NEW ORLEANS: The FBI on Thursday said that the pickup truck driver responsible for a deadly rampage in New Orleans acted alone.

time-read
5 dak  |
January 03, 2025
Hindustan Times Amritsar

Court rejects bail petition of Hindu priest Das again

A Bangladeshi court on Thursday denied bail to monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, whose arrest last November on sedition charges triggered protests in several Indian states and emerged as an irritant in bilateral relations.

time-read
1 min  |
January 03, 2025
Hindustan Times Amritsar

10 People Wounded in NY Shooting

A group of men fired at least 30 gunshots into a crowd gathered outside a nightclub in New York's Queens on New Year's Day, injuring 10 people.

time-read
1 min  |
January 03, 2025
Hindustan Times Amritsar

D-Street show kindles hopes for New Year

Stocks lit a spark of optimism for investors in the New Year as the benchmark indices roared back, even as experts keep their fingers crossed on whether the rally has legs.

time-read
1 min  |
January 03, 2025
Hindustan Times Amritsar

US Army soldier killed in Tesla Cybertruck explosion

The person who died in the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck packed with explosives outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel was an active-duty US Army soldier, three US officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.

time-read
1 min  |
January 03, 2025
Hindustan Times Amritsar

Manufacturing activity touches 12-month low

THE INDEX HAS STAYED ABOVE 50 FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS

time-read
1 min  |
January 03, 2025
Hindustan Times Amritsar

The battle to beat the heat

The warming levels reached in 2024 are a warning. The time for climate action is now

time-read
2 dak  |
January 03, 2025