Key takeaways
- Home goods were 40% of what India shipped to Qatar in our categories in 2025, a higher share than in the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Oman.
- Qatar's Consumer Protection Law (No. 8 of 2008) requires product information on packaging to be in Arabic; another language may appear alongside it.
- Goods bearing the Gulf conformity mark, or with a recognised GCC conformity certificate, move between GCC states without local re-testing, according to Qatar's customs authority.
- No India–Qatar or India–GCC trade agreement is in force. Terms of reference for India–GCC negotiations were signed on 5 February 2026.
What Qatar buys from India
India shipped US$110 million of the consumer goods we inspect to Qatar in calendar year 2025, up 5% on 2024. What sets Qatar apart is the mix: US$44 million, or 40%, was home goods, compared with about 22% for the UAE and 29% for Saudi Arabia on the same data.
| Category | India's exports to Qatar, 2025 (US$ million) |
|---|---|
| Woven apparel (HS 62) | 36 |
| Knitted apparel (HS 61) | 19 |
| Worked stone (HS 68; of which 6802 building stone: 10) | 17 |
| Furniture and lighting (HS 9401, 9403–9405) | 9 |
| Steel and aluminium household articles (HS 7323, 7418, 7615) | 8 |
| Footwear (HS 64) | 6 |
| Rugs and carpets (HS 57) | 5 |
| Home textiles (HS 6301–6304) | 4 |
| Ceramic tiles (HS 6907, outside the basket above) | 21 |
Stone and tiles together came to about US$38 million, more than knitwear. For many Qatari buyers the inspection is about finishing materials and household goods as much as garments.
Where these goods are made in India
- Marble: Makrana, Rajasthan (Makrana Marble GI). See marble slab and tile inspection and granite slab and tile inspection.
- Tiles: Morbi, Gujarat, the Town of Export Excellence for ceramic tiles. See vitrified and porcelain tile inspection.
- Furniture: Jodhpur and Jaipur, Towns of Export Excellence for handicrafts and the base of our own inspectors. See furniture inspection in India.
- Hand-knotted rugs: Bhadohi and Mirzapur, Towns of Export Excellence for carpets. See hand-knotted wool rug inspection.
- Garments: Delhi NCR (Gurgaon, Noida and Faridabad) for woven apparel and Tirupur for knitwear. See apparel inspection.
For stone, the checks that decide a fit-out are thickness and size tolerance, flatness, polish and colour consistency across a lot, and crate strength. For stainless steel serveware, the inspector weighs pieces against the approved sample to catch thinner sheet, and checks rims, handles and welds.
Arabic product information and origin marks
Qatar's Law No. 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection, as amended in 2018, requires the supplier to state the type, nature and components of a product and related data on its packaging, as the executive regulations set out (Article 7). Article 17 requires that information to be in Arabic, with another language allowed alongside it. In practice that means agreeing Arabic text with your importer before production.
- Arabic artwork. We check that the approved Arabic text, printed or on a sticker, is on each sampled unit and carton, that it is the current version, and that the English and Arabic describe the same product, size and material.
- Origin marks. We check that "Made in India" is present and consistent on product, label and carton, and that nothing on the packaging suggests another origin.
- Lot codes. For tiles and stone, shade, calibre and lot codes on every carton or crate let the site team lay one lot together; we check they match the packing list.
Rules that apply
Qatar's General Authority of Customs applies the GCC decision on mutual recognition: imported goods bearing the Gulf conformity mark, or accompanied by a conformity certificate from a recognised GCC authority, move between member states without local specifications being applied again. Where no Gulf or local standard exists, a recognised certificate against international standards is accepted. The Gulf conformity mark is compulsory for products under GCC technical regulations, with toys and low-voltage electrical equipment first; see SASO, SABER and Gulf conformity rules.
Our Middle East import checklist covers the UAE and Saudi Arabia, not Qatar, but is useful when the same goods are sold across the Gulf; see also the UAE and Saudi Arabia pages. For marking across markets, read product labelling and country of origin.
No trade agreement between India and Qatar is in force. India and the Gulf Cooperation Council signed terms of reference for a free trade agreement on 5 February 2026, which starts negotiations. Duty questions go to your customs broker.
Timing, booking and price
Qatar is on UTC+3 and India on UTC+5:30, with no daylight saving in either, so India is 2 hours 30 minutes ahead. Our office hours, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm IST, Monday to Saturday, are 7:00 am to 4:00 pm in Doha. Qatar's weekend is Friday and Saturday and our office closes on Sunday, so Monday to Thursday are the shared working days. The report follows within 24 hours of the inspection, after a supervisor's review, with photographs and a verdict of Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared.
An inspection costs US$249 per man-day: one inspector, one factory, eight working hours, report included. Travel is free in Jodhpur and US$99 per man-day in Jaipur, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Delhi NCR and Kolkata; Makrana, Morbi, Bhadohi and Tirupur are charged at actual travel cost. For crated stone and palletised tiles, container loading supervision records crate condition, lashing and stowage. See pricing or book an inspection.
Sources
- UN Comtrade: India's exports by partner and HS code, 2025
- WIPO Lex: Qatar Law No. 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection (as amended by Law No. 7 of 2018)
- Qatar General Authority of Customs: procedures for importing consumer goods (GCC mutual recognition)
- GSO: Gulf Conformity Mark
- All India Radio News: India and GCC sign terms of reference for a free trade agreement (5 Feb 2026)
- DGFT: Appendix 1B, Towns of Export Excellence
- PIB: Foreign Trade Policy 2023 (Faridabad and Mirzapur added as Towns of Export Excellence)
- IP India GI registry: Makrana Marble (application 405)
- timeanddate.com: India Standard Time