New Delhi: India and Oman discuss regional security, maritime security and developments around the Strait of Hormuz during the 15th India-Oman Strategic Consultative Group meeting in New Delhi on October 7, putting the strategically vital waterway alongside defence, energy and economic cooperation in the bilateral agenda. The meeting is co-chaired by MEA Secretary Sripriya Ranganathan and Omani Undersecretary for Political Affairs Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Harthy.
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The two sides review the full range of bilateral cooperation, including political and strategic ties, trade and investment, energy, defence and maritime cooperation. They also discuss implementation of the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, along with digital cooperation, education, culture and people-to-people ties. Both sides note the deepening strategic partnership and reaffirm their commitment to expanding cooperation across sectors.
The focus on the Strait of Hormuz carries particular significance for India because the waterway is critical to energy supplies and commercial shipping, while Oman sits at the mouth of the Gulf and has strategic access to the Arabian Sea. India has also raised concerns at the international level over attacks on commercial shipping and disruption to freedom of navigation in the Strait.
Defence and maritime cooperation already form an important pillar of India-Oman relations. Oman is one of India’s closest defence partners in the Gulf, with cooperation spanning military exchanges, annual service-level engagements, Coast Guard cooperation and the bilateral Naseem Al-Bahr naval, Eastern Bridge air and Al-Najah army exercises. Oman’s ports also support Indian Navy deployments in the western Indian Ocean.
The discussions therefore reinforce Oman’s role as an important maritime and strategic partner for India in the Gulf and western Indian Ocean. With energy security, shipping routes and regional stability increasingly interconnected, closer India-Oman coordination gives New Delhi an important channel for engaging the wider Gulf security environment while strengthening its maritime presence.
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