August 31, 2025 | Dubai, UAE: India and UAE trade have again publicly committed to their strategic collaboration by holding top-level discussions that were intended to broaden both their commerce relations as well as cross-border capital allocations in areas such as infrastructure, energy, and technology. On Friday in New Delhi, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal extended a very warm welcome to Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, to take forward the robust bilateral engagement under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
CEPA Fuels Surge in India and UAE Trade
In their talks, the two nations recognized that the Significance of CEPA was a major breakthrough in the flow between India and UAE trade not earlier but at new heights. Nearly twice over the past three years since the deal was made, goods between India and UAE trade has increased such that the value grew from USD 43.3 billion in FY 2020–21 to USD 83.7 billion in FY 2023–24. The figures show that the bilateral commerce was worth USD 80.5 billion in January 2025, a positive indicator of the open trade relationships between India and UAE trade.
The CEPA has been instrumental in diversifying the trade basket as non-oil trade has gone up to USD 57.8 billion in FY 2023-24, which accounts for more than half of the total trade. This move is aligned with the mutual objective of non-oil volume between India and UAE trade reaching USD 100 billion by 2030. Among made in India are the leading performers i.e. the products which include electrical machinery, refined crude oil, gems and jewellery, organic and inorganic chemicals, besides the newly developed hi-tech products such as smartphones that have just achieved USD 2.57 billion worth exports to the UAE in a single year of FY 2023-24.
Apart from that, 240,000 Certificates of Origin have almost been issued since CEPA came into effect, thereby exports worth USD 19.87 billion from India to the UAE have been facilitated. Non-oil exports accounted for USD 27.4 billion in FY 2023-24, registering an impressive average growth rate of 25.6 percent since CEPA’s enforcement. The trend shows that India and UAE trade is becoming more and more important as a major pillar for their bilateral economic relationship.
Expanding India and UAE Investment Across Sectors
In addition to trade, the two administrations appreciated each other’s ideas of speeding up the flow of money from India to the UAE in sectors that are vital for the development of the two countries, especially infrastructure, renewable energy, and high technology. Minister Goyal emphasized that increased India and UAE trade flows will fuel innovation, energize micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and generate thousands of new jobs.
The UAE has already shown resolute commitment with India and UAE trade, as it has taken a large stake in various renewable energy projects, logistics infrastructure, and technology parks. This partnership is anticipated to extend deeper with probable new agreements on energy transition initiatives, artificial intelligence-driven manufacturing, and digital innovation corridors.
Moreover, the leaders were examining ways to use CEPA’s provisions to simplify investment procedures, lower the obstacles posed by regulatory requirements, and attract the formation of partnerships in green hydrogen, semiconductor manufacturing, and the production of advanced industrial technologies. The goal is to infuse new growth opportunities, which will facilitate not only India and UAE trade but also the strategic partnership at levels of collaboration never before attainable.
Minister Goyal said in a tweet, “It was a pleasure to welcome Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, and send him my best wishes on taking up his new role. We had a very productive meeting where the emphasis was laid on boosting the bilateral trade and investment that included sectors like infrastructure, energy, and technology. We also committed ourselves to one another to deepen the India-UAE relationship and to discover therewith untapped pathways of mutual growth.”
CEPA is steadily continuing to be the very foundation of trust for the two countries to invest in each other’s markets. At the same time, it also provides more opportunities in different sectors to the investors from India and the UAE. The importance and role of joint ventures, the involvement of sovereign wealth funds, and the cooperation between the public and private sectors demonstrate that they work under a strategy that aims to turn India and UAE investments into a source of not only economic but also sustainable growth in the region eventually.
The partnership with the UAE has thus transformed into one of the most dynamic and vibrant bilateral relationships in the world. Mutual trade and investments, which are being mentioned in India’s foreign policy, have become an important pillar of the economic diplomacy of both the countries. Non-oil trade between the two countries is on track to hit USD 100 billion by 2030, and we are witnessing the opening of new investment pipelines, including those for renewable energy, technology, and infrastructure. This sets the scene for the two countries to establish new standards for strategic economic cooperation.
It is worth noting that both administrations’ primary objective is the creation of a friendly area for the growth of the types of activities that they have in common, such as technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. One effect of this top-level discussion could be that it moves bilateral trading between India and the UAE onto a higher plane, at the same time as it also consolidates their joint goal of becoming leaders in cross-border cooperation and, thus constituting a partnership that is both resilient and future ready.
Also Read: Moldova Business Week 2025: Shaping Investments and Partnerships for a Resilient Future
