Medicines, tiles: India pressures Morocco to reach 8 billion

India placed several specific requests on the table during the seventh Morocco-India Joint Commission. It wants to facilitate the entry of its pharmaceutical products into Morocco and is concerned about procedures relating to imports of ceramic tiles.

Trade between the two countries reached approximately four billion dollars in 2025. Rabat and New Delhi are giving themselves five years to double it by developing fertilizers, minerals, machinery, electrical equipment, the automotive industry, construction materials, agri-food and tourism.

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The official statement from the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry nevertheless reveals the obstacles that New Delhi wants removed.

The first concerns medicines. Indian companies are encountering difficulties related to Moroccan procedures for marketing authorization and approval timeframes.

The two countries agreed to work together to make this access more predictable and faster. However, no easing has yet been announced: Morocco is maintaining its health and regulatory procedures.

Indian tiles under scrutiny

India also expressed its concerns regarding ongoing investigations into Moroccan imports of Indian ceramic tiles.

The document specifies neither the exact nature of these investigations nor the companies concerned. It therefore does not make it possible to claim that Morocco will impose new taxes or limit these imports.

A joint working group will examine the customs and regulatory barriers encountered by companies. It will also study the feasibility of a preferential trade agreement between Morocco and India.

This is not yet a free-trade agreement. The future arrangement could provide for targeted reductions in customs duties or facilities for certain products, depending on the outcome of the negotiations.

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Cooperation already extends beyond trade. Morocco relies on Indian partners to develop its aeronautics industry, while Tata Advanced Systems has opened an armored-vehicle plant in the Kingdom.

Phosphates also remain central. Indian minister Jitin Prasada visited the India-Maroc Phosphore plant, a joint venture associating OCP with Indian partners. The Moroccan group has committed to continuing to supply Indian agriculture according to its needs.

An agreement between ONSSA and the Indian food safety authority was also signed to facilitate the exchange of information and expertise.

Doubling trade will therefore depend on a compromise: India wants to sell its medicines, tiles and industrial products more easily in Morocco, while the Kingdom is seeking outlets, investments and technological partnerships.