As part of following up on the results of the sixth session of the Egypt-India Joint Trade Committee held in September 2024 in New Delhi, and preparing for the seventh session scheduled in Cairo next year, the Egyptian Commercial Representation Office in New Delhi, headed by Commercial Counselor Mohamed Abdelmajid, organized a coordination meeting via videoconference.

The meeting included officials from the Central Administration of Agricultural Quarantine at Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture and their counterparts from the Indian Ministry of Agriculture. The Egyptian side was represented by Dr. Islam Abu Al-Ala, Deputy Head of the Plant Health Unit, Engineer Heba Kassab, Supervisor of the Market Access Unit, and Engineer Ahmed El-Gamal, Plant Health Specialist. The Indian side included Richa Prakash Choudhary, Deputy Director at the Indian Ministry of Commerce, and Dr. Gananasambandan, Director of Agricultural Quarantine at the Indian Ministry of Agriculture.

The meeting discussed ways to enhance the access of Egyptian agricultural products to the Indian market and mechanisms to remove obstacles and meet the required conditions from the Indian side, especially regarding Egyptian pomegranate exports. It also highlighted key Egyptian exports to India, including oranges, aromatic plants, long-staple cotton, dried green beans, and flax seeds, against India’s main imports to Egypt such as rice, wood, spices, coffee, and sesame.

It is noteworthy that Egyptian agricultural exports to various countries reached about 8 million tons in 2024, including approximately 300,000 tons to the Indian market.

The meeting also reviewed the results of the Indian agricultural quarantine delegation’s visit to Egypt to review and evaluate the procedures for exporting Egyptian pomegranates. The Egyptian side confirmed that all required conditions were met and communicated to Indian authorities in June 2025. The Indian Director of Agricultural Quarantine stated that the matter is currently under study and a response will be given to the Egyptian side within two weeks.