Cairo: Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid Saleh affirmed on Friday, August 7, 2026, that Egypt and India are linked by growing strategic relations, noting efforts to upgrade these ties into productive and investment partnerships, increase Egyptian exports to the Indian market, and attract more Indian investments to Egypt.
According to State Information Service Egypt, these remarks came during the minister's meeting with India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on the sidelines of his participation in the 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur, India. The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic, trade, and investment relations between the two countries.
Farid stressed Egypt's keenness to continue coordination with India within the BRICS framework and strengthen cooperation in trade facilitation, investment promotion, and technology transfer, contributing to the expansion of economic partnership between the two countries. He highlighted the importance of strengthening integration with Indian companies, encouraging the establishment of new productive partnerships, and leveraging Egypt's strategic location and network of trade agreements linking it to regional and international markets.
The minister invited India's Minister of Commerce and Industry to visit Egypt in the coming period at the head of a business delegation, aiming to organize an Egyptian-Indian Business Forum and showcase available investment opportunities and joint projects in both countries. He also emphasized the need to expedite the convening of the seventh session of the Joint Egyptian-Indian Trade Committee in Cairo in 2026, to follow up on areas of joint cooperation and address obstacles to trade and investment.
Discussions also included ongoing consultations on establishing an Indian industrial zone within the Suez Canal Economic Zone. Farid stressed the importance of accelerating the completion of the project's implementation procedures to attract new Indian investments and increase Egyptian exports. The two sides also explored cooperation opportunities in pharmaceutical manufacturing, particularly oncology drugs and immunosuppressive medicines, as well as cooperation in the fertilizer industry.
Farid reviewed bilateral trade indicators, stating that trade between Egypt and India reached approximately $4.18 billion in 2025, with a trade deficit in India's favor amounting to about $2.84 billion. He affirmed that significant opportunities exist to increase Egyptian exports to the Indian market and boost joint investments, supporting the growth of economic, trade, and investment relations between Egypt and India while creating new opportunities for the private sector in both countries.