Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
The high-level gathering, hosted by the UAE India Business Council’s UAE chapter under the theme “Strength in Resilience”, brought together officials, investors and corporate leaders as both sides sought to convert political alignment into larger private-sector projects. The discussions followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi on May 15, when the two governments expanded cooperation in energy, defence, maritime infrastructure, artificial intelligence, supercomputing, investment and logistics.
Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, told the closed-door industry event that the next phase of the partnership would depend heavily on businesses taking the lead through joint ventures, logistics connectivity and large-scale investments. He said strategic sectors should be prioritised to deliver gains for both economies and widen the commercial base beyond traditional trade flows.
“One of my priorities over the coming months is to encourage more large projects driven by private sector partnerships between India and the UAE,” Al Zeyoudi said. “We need to work together on strategic sectors that positively impact people in both countries. It’s time for joint ventures, collaboration, and large scale investments led by businesses.”
The UAE-India trade relationship has moved rapidly since CEPA came into force in 2022. Bilateral merchandise trade crossed $101 billion in FY2025-26, surpassing the earlier $100 billion milestone, while non-oil trade has become a larger share of the exchange. The two governments are now working towards doubling trade to $200 billion by 2032, a target that will require deeper investment flows, faster customs processes and stronger corporate partnerships.
Dr Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of India to the UAE, underlined the strategic alignment between both countries in trade, connectivity and future-facing industries. He also pointed to Africa as a major frontier for joint investment, where UAE capital, India’s enterprise networks and logistics links could create new opportunities across infrastructure, food security, healthcare and digital services.
Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, said CEPA had created “unprecedented momentum” and called for sustained collaboration between governments and business groups. The remarks reflected a broader effort to position the council as a platform for deal-making, policy feedback and sector-specific cooperation rather than a ceremonial forum.
Investment was a central theme of the meeting. During Modi’s May 15 visit, UAE entities announced $5 billion in commitments, including $3 billion by Emirates NBD in RBL Bank, $1 billion by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority alongside the National Infrastructure and Investment Fund for priority infrastructure projects, and $1 billion by International Holding Company in Sammaan Capital. These transactions signal a shift towards larger financial-sector and infrastructure commitments that can support the trade target.
Energy remains one of the strongest pillars of the relationship. The UAE is a major crude, LNG and LPG supplier to India, while Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is set to deepen participation in India’s strategic petroleum reserves. An arrangement on long-term LPG supplies and cooperation on strategic gas reserves has added resilience to the energy partnership at a time when tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to affect global risk calculations.
The partnership is also broadening into defence, maritime and technology. The two governments signed a framework for a strategic defence partnership covering industrial collaboration, advanced technology, training, maritime security, cyber defence and secure communications. Cochin Shipyard Limited and Drydocks World are working on a ship repair cluster at Vadinar in Gujarat, while a planned 8-exaflop supercomputing cluster involving C-DAC and G42 points to closer cooperation in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
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