Sharjah-India roadshow spotlights potential for growth in technology

A delegation of senior officials from Sharjah’s commerce-focused public sector entities, led by the Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah – IIS), met with numerous India’s leading business owners, entrepreneurs and government officials in a highly impactful tour of the sub-continent, which featured a packed agenda of B2B and G2G networking meetings as well as site visits to collaboratively explore the extraordinary potential for growth in technology and other future-focused industries in Sharjah.

The delegation was accompanied by Abdulnasser Alshaali, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of India and Aaref Alnuaimi, consul general from the Consulate General of the UAE in Hyderabad, which further strengthened the UAE-India ties and emphasised the importance of this visit in fostering business relations between the two countries.

During the roadshow organised from March 13 - 16 in partnership with T-Hub and the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), the IIS-led delegation consisting from four entities mapped two major south Indian cities of Hyderabad and Bengaluru to examine the outlook for growth in trade and investment, particularly in technology, and explore new pathways to further bilateral relations in light of the extremely productive economic ties that the UAE and India have enjoyed for over 55 years.

The delegation from Sharjah, included Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO, Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah); Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park, Shihab Alhammadi, Managing Director, Sharjah Media Free zone Authority (SHAMS), and Salim Alyammahi, Head of Partner Relations Division at Sharjah Economic Development Department.



Boundless potential: The roadshow sought to inform and educate Indian investors and businesses in Hyderabad and Bengaluru about the new and emerging potential in Sharjah in the future-focused sectors of fintech, clean energy and climate action, food security, sustainability, digital payments, cyber security, cryptocurrencies, and advanced technologies, among others.

The two Indian cities are powerhouses of technological innovation in the region and this IIS-led visit gave industry players first-hand insights on ways they can leverage Sharjah as a gateway to the Middle East.

Al Musharrkh, noted: “This has been a very productive networking trip, which enabled leading Sharjah Government entities to showcase how Indian businesses can tap into Sharjah’s burgeoning potential for business and investment in their areas of interest in a seamless fashion as they benefit from the plethora of investor-friendly services and facilities they offer”.

“The bilateral trade relations between the two countries have been taken to new heights with the implementation of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) since May 2022, and its contribution to qualitative developments in trade relations between the two countries. This roadshow for our counterparts in Hyderabad and Bengaluru was timed strategically to open the window of new and emerging opportunities to prospective entrants in Sharjah’s robust, competitive and highly diversified economy, particularly in technology”, he added.

Earlier in February last year, India and UAE took a significant step in strengthening their comprehensive strategic partnership with the issuance of a Joint Vision Document, ‘New Frontiers, New Milestones’, to chart the pathway towards a shared future building on past achievements and laying down new avenues of cooperation in fintech, clean energy and climate action, food security, sustainability, digital payments, cyber security, cryptocurrencies, and advanced technologies, among others.

In both cities, the roadshow agenda presented B2B and G2G networking opportunities, alongside informative discussions, during which participating delegates from the emirate outlined the tremendous opportunity and potential in Sharjah’s conducive business environment, its core strengths in diverse sectors, and easy access to global markets. The IIS CEO invited Indian companies, investors and entrepreneurs to avail the services of the Sharjah Investors Services Center (SAEED) that offers a complete range of government solutions to set up businesses with speed and efficiency.