Meetings explore ways to boost UAE-India economic cooperation

Badr Jafar, Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy, conducted a two-day visit to New Delhi and Mumbai, holding meetings and engagements with senior business and philanthropy leaders to deepen cooperation in priority economic and social sectors.

The visit built on the recent official visit by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to India last month, during which bilateral trade was confirmed to have surpassed $100 billion in 2025, five years ahead of schedule, with a new annual target of $200 billion by 2032 announced.

These high-level engagements form part of the mandate of the Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy, aimed at deepening collaboration with key international partners by strengthening ties between business and philanthropic leaders and enhancing public-private sector cooperation aligned with shared development priorities.

In this context, Badr Jafar said, “The UAE–India partnership stands out as one of the most dynamic economic relations globally. It is a strategic growth platform built on trust, talent, and shared aspirations. Indian companies view the UAE as a strategic hub for markets across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, while UAE investors see India as one of the fastest-growing and most attractive markets in the world. This partnership has laid the foundation or trade that benefits both countries and the wider global economy.”

He added, “At the heart of these longstanding business ties are strong people-to-people connections between our two nations. The UAE is home to a large Indian community, reflecting a long history of cooperation, shared experience, and mutual growth. In all its diversity, the Indian community serves as a cornerstone of this relationship and continues to play a vital role in its growth and prosperity.”

During the visit, Jafar met with leaders in vital sectors, including infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, technology, logistics, energy, financial services, and consumer industries, to explore opportunities to deepen business-to-business partnerships.Meetings included discussions with officials and leaders from Tata Trusts, Aditya Birla Group, Bharti Enterprises, Godrej Enterprises Group, Piramal Group, Jindal Steel, Hero MotoCorp, InoxGFL, and Parle Group, among others.

Collectively, the Indian businesses represented during the visit account for over $400 billion in enterprise value and play a significant role in India’s economic and industrial development.

In addition to bilateral meetings, the Special Envoy convened a roundtable with CEOs from leading India-based philanthropies, including EdelGive Foundation, Piramal Foundation, Akshaya Patra, J.K. Trust, Dasra and the Hinduja Foundation, to exchange perspectives and experiences on advancing relations and exploring effective and innovative pathways to deliver tangible, measurable social impact.

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director-General of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which represents more than 300,000 businesses throughout India, said, “The UAE–India partnership is strong and continues to evolve into a model for integrated international collaboration, bringing together business, investment and tangible social impact. Visits such as this help expand connections between the two countries and create new and promising opportunities for sustained long-term growth.”

In recent years, the UAE–India economic partnership has emerged as one of the strongest and fastest-growing in the world. The UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination, while India ranks as the UAE’s second-largest trading partner.

In 2025, India was the leading source of greenfield foreign direct investment into the UAE, with a total of $12.6 billion invested across 275 projects. Meanwhile, UAE investments in India have reached $75 billion, supporting the development of the country’s infrastructure.

Through its Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements, now covering 35 countries, the UAE is reinforcing its position as a global trade hub. This has supported strong growth in non-oil trade, which has more than doubled in five years, with non-oil sectors now accounting for more than 75 per cent of GDP.

Separately, a new analysis by Dubai Chamber of Commerce (DCC revealed recentlyy that Indian-owned businesses continued to top the list of new foreign companies joining the chamber during 2025.

A total of 18,486 new members from India joined during the year, representing year-over-year (YoY) growth of 11 per cent. The figures underline Dubai’s enduring appeal and strategic importance as a preferred destination for Indian investors and entrepreneurs.

Pakistan ranked second with 9,138 new companies registered in 2025, an increase of 12 per cent compared to 2024. Egypt followed in third place with 5,043 new companies joining the chamber.

WAM