Archive · 11 Oct 2026
India Nears Investment Pacts With Three Nations by December
India is working on investment agreements with Switzerland, Oman and the Maldives.
Officials expect the agreements could be signed by December.
The agreement talks with Oman are finished, and the Maldives deal is close.
India has also signed recent investment agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel.
These newer agreements can let investors seek international arbitration sooner than under India’s older rules.
The government is preparing a new template for future agreements.
It hopes the changes will help attract more long-term investment.
Gross foreign investment increased in FY26, but net investment was much smaller.
India is likely to sign bilateral investment treaties with Switzerland, Oman and the Maldives by December.
Negotiations with Oman are complete, while talks with the Maldives are close and Switzerland is next.
Recent agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Israel shorten the required period for pursuing domestic remedies before international arbitration.
India is revising its investment treaty framework to attract capital amid weakening net inflows since 2023.
Gross FDI inflows rose 17.3% to $94.5 billion in FY26, while net inflows reached $7.7 billion.
- Who
- India and its prospective treaty partners Switzerland, Oman and the Maldives.
- What
- India is expected to sign bilateral investment treaties with the three countries, while revising its investment treaty framework.
- When
- The treaties are likely by December; the article does not specify a year.
- Where
- India and the countries involved in the bilateral negotiations.
- Why
- To strengthen investor confidence and attract long-term capital to support economic growth.
- Expected treaty partners
- Switzerland, Oman and the Maldives
- Negotiation status
- Oman negotiations are complete; the Maldives is close; Switzerland is next.
- New domestic-remedy periods
- Two or three years in new agreements, potentially one year by mutual understanding.
- Earlier requirement
- India’s 2015 BIT model required five years of exhausting local legal remedies.
- FY26 gross FDI inflows
- $94.5 billion, up 17.3% from $80.6 billion a year earlier.
- FY26 net FDI inflows
- $7.7 billion, compared with around $1 billion in the previous fiscal year.
- Other negotiations
- India is negotiating with Canada and Russia; a Canada agreement could conclude by December or early 2027.