TEHRAN- The new Indian ambassador to Iran, at the start of his mission, visited the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA) and met with the chairman of the Chamber. In this meeting, while referring to the economic capacities and the history of Iran-India cooperation, the two sides emphasized the need to revive and develop trade relations and to use BRICS capacities.

Also, drafting a timetable for private-sector trade talks, holding specialized courses, exchanging trade delegations, and creating a direct communication channel to follow up on and implement agreements were placed on the agenda of both sides.

Vishwesh Negi, the new Indian ambassador to Iran, in a meeting with Mahmoud Najafi-Arab, Chairman of the Tehran Chamber, attended by Fereydoun Vardinejad, Secretary General, and Hesameddin Hallaj, Deputy for International Affairs and Trade Development of the Tehran Chamber, Zeinab Davoudi, India desk expert at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of the commercial section of the Indian Embassy in Iran, in addition to reviewing mechanisms for strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries, described increasing awareness and synergy among private-sector actors as one of the solutions for developing Iran-India exchanges.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mahmoud Najafi-Arab, Chairman of the Tehran Chamber, referring to the historical record of cultural and economic communications and exchanges and also the membership of Iran and India in BRICS, spoke about the necessity of developing interactions between the two countries and added: The Tehran Chamber has also recently joined the BRICS Trade Council, and representatives of this chamber recently attended the BRICS Trade Council meeting in India and presented their views on various trade issues.

The chairman of the Tehran Chamber, announcing the Tehran Chamber’s readiness to increase cooperation with India’s private sector, said: Iran and India have significant capacity for developing economic interactions in areas such as medicine and pharmaceutical raw materials, food and agricultural products, inputs, and industrial raw materials. However, the current trade volume between the two countries, around $1.5 billion, is far from existing capacities. Nevertheless, the private sectors of the two countries can pave the way for deepening economic relations and sustainably increasing bilateral exchanges by strengthening trade, joint investment, and industrial cooperation.

He also, referring to the obstacles and challenges of trade with India in the current conditions, emphasized the need to develop and use alternative corridors and new logistics routes to facilitate and accelerate trade exchanges.

Vishwesh Negi, the new Indian ambassador to Iran, also in his remarks described one of his missions as developing trade and economic relations between the two countries and explained: The trade volume between Iran and India previously reached about $20 billion, but this figure has now decreased greatly; a level that is far from the capabilities and opportunities existing in the two countries.

He also, referring to some obstacles in the path of trade between the two countries, emphasized the need to find practical solutions to facilitate economic relations and use the capacity of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

The Indian ambassador to Iran, stating that “developing economic exchanges between the two countries will be possible through holding B2B trade meetings and creating opportunities for joint cooperation between private-sector companies of Iran and India,” proposed suggestions such as direct communication between the embassy and chambers of commerce, providing opportunities for trade delegations to attend exhibitions, holding webinars to understand market needs, and short-term training programs.

Vishwesh Negi considered developing trade with Iran a strategic benefit for both countries and, in another part of his remarks, referred to opportunities arising from multilateral cooperation and added: A meeting is to be held soon by the Indian Embassy in Tehran to present BRICS achievements and programs in 2026 and to provide the ground for synergy and networking between Indian companies and Iranian economic actors interested in cooperation.

He said: Holding more than 420 expert meetings in BRICS and the final statement of the summit indicate the diversity and high capacity of trade cooperation, and it is hoped that member countries will expand their trade outlook by using this capacity.

The Indian ambassador, while officially inviting members of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce to participate in this event, emphasized that the presence of private-sector economic actors in this meeting can be a prelude to defining joint projects and using the economic advantages of BRICS member countries.

In another part of the meeting, Fereydoun Vardinejad, Secretary General of the Tehran Chamber, called for strengthening the embassy’s communication with the Tehran Chamber as the parliament of the private sector and invited the Indian ambassador to attend Iran Expo 1405 to strengthen trade cooperation.

Vardinejad also invited Vishwesh Negi to attend the opening of the Iran Pharma exhibition as one of the largest exhibition events in the pharmaceutical field. He noted that Indian pharmaceutical companies will also be present at this exhibition.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides emphasized drafting a timetable for trade talks between the private sectors of Iran and India, holding specialized courses, exchanging trade delegations, and creating a direct communication channel to follow up on agreements, and expressed hope for the development of economic cooperation.

EF/MA