First gold jewellery shipment from Kolkata to Oman sent under India-Oman CEPA

On June 11, 2026 — just ten days after the India–Oman CEPA came into force (June 1, 2026) — the first consignment of gold jewellery from Kolkata was dispatch...

What Happened

On June 11, 2026 — just ten days after the India–Oman CEPA came into force (June 1, 2026) — the first consignment of gold jewellery from Kolkata was dispatched to Oman by air cargo under duty-free terms.
The shipment was flagged off by officials of the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) Eastern Region and senior Customs officers.
This marks the commencement of direct duty-free gold jewellery exports from eastern India to the Gulf — previously, trade was routed via UAE, incurring additional handling and transit costs.
Current gems and jewellery exports to Oman stand at approximately USD 35 million annually (including ~USD 10 million in gold jewellery); projections indicate growth to USD 150 million within three years.
Despite geopolitical volatility in the Middle East during 2025–26, India's gems and jewellery sector recorded exports of nearly USD 28 billion in FY 2025–26.

Static Topic Bridges

India–Oman CEPA — Coverage, Tariff Liberalisation, and Rules of Origin

The India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed on December 18, 2025 and entered into force on June 1, 2026. It is Oman's first bilateral trade agreement in nearly two decades and a landmark for India's trade diplomacy with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. Oman has committed to granting duty-free access on more than 98% of its tariff lines (covering nearly all Indian exports by value), while India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on approximately 78% of tariff lines (covering ~95% of imports from Oman). Some tariff liberalisation takes effect immediately upon entry into force; others are phased over up to 10 years.

India–Oman CEPA signed: December 18, 2025; in force: June 1, 2026.
Oman's commitment: Duty-free on >98% of tariff lines.
India's commitment: Tariff elimination/reduction on ~78% of tariff lines (~95% of Oman import value).
Coverage: Goods, services, investment, rules of origin, customs facilitation, TBT, e-commerce, intellectual property, and SME provisions.
Key Indian exports benefiting: Gold jewellery, diamonds, textiles, leather, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products.
Key Oman exports to India: Crude oil, LNG, chemicals, fertilisers, aluminium.
Rules of origin (CAROTAR): Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020 apply — goods must meet value-addition thresholds to claim preferential tariff benefits.

Connection to this news: The gold jewellery shipment from Kolkata is the first real-world activation of the CEPA's duty-free goods window — demonstrating how trade agreements translate into concrete export opportunities and supply chain shifts (removing UAE routing).

CEPA vs FTA vs CECA — Understanding India's Trade Agreement Taxonomy

India uses multiple forms of trade agreements: Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), and Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). An FTA focuses primarily on reducing or eliminating tariffs on goods. A CEPA is more expansive, covering goods, services, investment, intellectual property, government procurement, competition policy, and regulatory cooperation — it represents a deeper level of economic integration. A CECA is similarly comprehensive but may have a slightly different negotiating structure. A Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) is narrower — it only offers tariff preferences on a limited list of goods, not comprehensive coverage.

FTA: Goods tariffs only (narrow).
PTA: Limited goods list with tariff preferences (most narrow).
CEPA/CECA: Goods + Services + Investment + IPR + regulatory areas (most comprehensive).
India's notable CEPAs: India–UAE CEPA (signed February 2022, in force May 2022 — India's fastest negotiated CEPA); India–Japan CEPA (2011); India–South Korea CEPA (2010).
India–Oman CEPA (2025–26) is India's newest CEPA and the GCC's first bilateral CEPA after India–UAE.
India–UK FTA negotiations: Ongoing (as of 2026); India–EU FTA: Under negotiation.
MoU vs Treaty distinction: CEPAs are binding international treaties (not MoUs); they require Parliamentary notification under FRBM and customs law amendments for domestic implementation.

Connection to this news: The India–Oman CEPA is a CEPA (not a bare FTA) — meaning its benefits extend beyond gold jewellery tariffs to services (IT, healthcare professionals) and investment protection, positioning it as a comprehensive economic architecture with Oman.

Gems and Jewellery Sector — India's Export Significance and GJEPC Role

India is one of the world's largest exporters of gems and jewellery, accounting for approximately 7–8% of India's total merchandise exports. The sector employs an estimated 4.64 million people and is dominated by cutting and polishing of diamonds (India processes ~90% of the world's diamonds by volume), gold jewellery manufacturing, and coloured gemstones. The Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) is the apex body for promoting gem and jewellery exports, established under the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992. India's gems and jewellery exports are subject to specific customs rules, hallmarking norms (BIS hallmarking mandatory for gold jewellery sold domestically since 2021), and GST zero-rating on exports.

India's gems and jewellery exports FY 2025–26: ~USD 28 billion.
India's share of global diamond polishing: ~90% by volume.
GJEPC: Established under Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992; operates under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Gold import duty: India levies a basic customs duty on gold imports (reduced to 6% from 15% in Union Budget 2024–25 to curb smuggling); gold is not in India's FTA sensitive lists typically, meaning duty reduction is protected.
BIS hallmarking of gold jewellery: Mandatory domestically since June 2021 (BIS Act, 2016); 6-digit HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) number on each piece.
Kolkata's significance: Eastern India's gems and jewellery hub; direct air cargo access to Gulf markets reduces transit cost vs UAE re-routing.

Connection to this news: The GJEPC's active facilitation of the first CEPA shipment illustrates the role of Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) in operationalising trade agreements — bridging the policy-level CEPA with enterprise-level export activation.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — India's Strategic Economic Partnership

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic union of six Arab states: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman — established in 1981 with headquarters in Riyadh. GCC states collectively are India's largest trading partner group (total India–GCC trade ~USD 162 billion annually). India–GCC relations are anchored in: (1) energy (India imports ~35% of crude from GCC); (2) remittances (~8 million Indian diaspora in GCC, remitting ~USD 30–35 billion/year); (3) trade agreements (India–UAE CEPA 2022, India–Oman CEPA 2026); and (4) strategic convergence (I2U2 grouping — India, Israel, UAE, USA — est. 2021).

GCC established: 1981; 6 members: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman.
India–GCC bilateral trade: ~USD 162 billion/year.
Indian diaspora in GCC: ~8 million persons.
India–UAE CEPA: Signed February 2022; in force May 2022 — India's fastest negotiated trade agreement.
India–Oman CEPA: Signed December 2025; in force June 2026.
India–GCC FTA negotiations: Ongoing (comprehensive GCC-wide deal separate from bilateral CEPAs).
I2U2 (India–Israel–UAE–USA): Established 2021; focuses on water, energy, transport, space, health, food security.
Oman's strategic significance for India: Gateway to the Arabian Sea; participates in India–Oman Joint Commission on bilateral cooperation; hosts INS Jabal Ali (naval logistics).

Connection to this news: The India–Oman CEPA entry into force and the first shipment represent India's systematic deepening of economic engagement with the GCC — leveraging bilateral CEPAs as building blocks while broader GCC-wide FTA negotiations continue.

Key Facts & Data

India–Oman CEPA signed: December 18, 2025; in force: June 1, 2026.
First gold jewellery shipment under CEPA: June 11, 2026 (Kolkata to Oman, by air cargo).
Manufacturer: Wonder Jewels, Kolkata.
Current India–Oman gems and jewellery trade: ~USD 35 million/year (gold jewellery ~USD 10 million).
Projected growth: USD 150 million over three years.
India's total gems and jewellery exports (FY 2025–26): ~USD 28 billion.
Oman's tariff concession: Duty-free on >98% of Indian tariff lines.
India's tariff concession: Elimination/reduction on ~78% of tariff lines.
GCC members: 6 (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman); established 1981.
India–GCC bilateral trade: ~USD 162 billion/year.
GJEPC: Administered under Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992.
BIS gold hallmarking: Mandatory domestically since June 2021; 6-digit HUID system.