The centrality of natural gas in ties between India and Qatar

News Snapshot:

The death sentence given to eight former personnel of the Indian Navy by a court in Qatar presents the biggest challenge yet to New Delhi’s historically friendly ties with Doha. In the relationship between nations, trade relations play a significant role. In the case of India and Qatar, the balance of trade is tilted heavily in the latter’s favour — which means imports from Qatar far outweigh India’s exports. What also gives Qatar huge leverage is the nature of the trade — dominated as it is by a commodity of critical importance to India, now and for the foreseeable future....