The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will take effect on Monday, extending zero-duty access on 98% of tariff lines, which cover 99.4% of India’s exports to Oman. In return, India will open up 77% of its tariff lines for Oman, covering 94% of its total exports to India. This is India’s 15th bilateral trade agreement. For India, the most visible gains lie in merchandise exports. Oman’s gains are concentrated in energy and industrial inputs, said Ajay Srivastava, founder of Global Trade Research Initiative. With over 6,000 India–Oman joint ventures and Indian investments exceeding $7.5 billion—mainly in the Sohar and Salalah free zones—the CEPA is as much a strategic pact as a trade deal, he added.