New Delhi, Nov 14 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is set to undertake an official visit to Egypt from November 15-16, with an aim to further strengthen the longstanding India-Egypt partnership, the Commerce Ministry said on Saturday.
The visit would give particular emphasis to expanding bilateral trade, promoting investment, enhancing industrial cooperation, and strengthening business-to-business engagement.
The visit will comprise the 7th Session of the India–Egypt Joint Trade Committee (JTC), the India–Egypt Joint Business Council (JBC) Meeting, and the India–Egypt Business Forum, according to an official statement.
The programme will also include bilateral meetings with senior Egyptian Ministers, interactions with leading business representatives and meetings with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the Egyptian Junior Businessmen Association, and the Egypt–India Startups Forum.
These engagements are expected to provide fresh impetus to bilateral trade, investment, industrial cooperation, and innovation linkages.
The 7th Session of the India–Egypt Joint Trade Committee (JTC) will be co-chaired by Goyal and Egyptian Investment and Foreign Trade Minister, Dr Mohamed Farid Saleh, in Cairo.
The meeting will provide an opportunity to review the progress of bilateral trade and investment relations and discuss measures to further diversify and expand the bilateral trade basket.
Discussions are expected to cover market access issues, non-tariff barriers, trade remedies, agricultural and food products, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, engineering goods, chemicals and petrochemicals, fertilisers, textiles, MSMEs, customs cooperation, services, renewable energy, green hydrogen, transport and logistics, among other areas of mutual interest.
Bilateral merchandise trade during April–September 2026 stood at $5.04 billion, registering a growth of 64 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.
India’s exports to Egypt during FY 2025–26 amounted to $3.87 billion, while imports from Egypt stood at $2.60 billion.
India’s major exports to Egypt include meat and poultry products, petroleum products, organic chemicals, cotton and machinery, while its major imports include crude petroleum, fertilisers, cotton, and mineral products.
The two sides are also expected to discuss measures to facilitate greater participation of businesses in each other’s markets, strengthen institutional mechanisms, address trade-related concerns, and promote investment partnerships. Opportunities for cooperation in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, industrial development, manufacturing, infrastructure, ports and logistics, and regional value chains are also expected to feature in the discussions. Egypt’s strategic geographical location offers significant opportunities for Indian businesses to strengthen their presence in the country and access markets across Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
During the visit, Goyal will also hold bilateral meetings with senior Egyptian Ministers to exchange views on further strengthening bilateral economic and commercial relations, particularly in the areas of trade, investment and industrial cooperation.
–IANS
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