The India-UAE Business Forum is poised to delve into mutually advantageous trade, investment, and partnership prospects during its event in Mumbai on September 10. Organized jointly by the UAE’s Ministry of Economy, the UAE Embassy in New Delhi, and India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the forum will assemble government officials, business leaders, industrialists, and entrepreneurs at the Oberoi Hotel. This gathering is part of bilateral initiatives to harness the opportunities arising from the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which became effective in May 2022.
Under the theme “Beyond CEPA: Innovation and Future-Ready Economies,” the forum will highlight sectors primed for private-sector collaboration, with a specific emphasis on healthcare, biotechnology, renewable energy, sustainability, AI, logistics and supply chains, and agricultural technology. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, will lead a high-level UAE delegation to the event.
Al Zeyoudi remarked, “The India-UAE Business Forum offers another crucial platform to unite our business leaders, explore mutual benefits, and foster networks that support our economic growth and diversification goals. The forum will capitalize on the steady increase in bilateral non-oil trade, which hit $28.2 billion in the first half of 2024—a 9.8 percent rise from the same period in 2023, amidst a global decline in trade growth in H1 2024. These figures underscore the benefits of the UAE-India CEPA, a significant driver of industrial output, employment, and global competitiveness, paving the way for enhanced collaboration in the coming months and years.”
The forum’s panels reflect the extensive opportunities available to the private sector. Topics include “Healthcare and Biotechnology: Pioneering the Future of Medicine,” focusing on leveraging CEPA for partnerships in biotechnology, genomic medicine, AI-driven healthcare, digital health, and pharmaceutical research. The AI and emerging technologies session will explore their development and potential benefits, while “Renewable Energy & Sustainability: Pioneering the Green Revolution” will highlight the UAE’s groundbreaking work in delivering wind, solar, and geothermal solutions worldwide. Other sessions will address opportunities in logistics, agricultural technology, and sustainable farming practices.
The UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was the inaugural component of the UAE’s new foreign trade strategy aimed at fortifying ties with strategically significant nations globally. Since its implementation in May 2022, businesses in both countries have enjoyed reduced or eliminated tariffs on over 80 percent of products, the removal of trade barriers, and harmonized customs regulations and processes.
