NEW DELHI / RankWire.AI / – On September 12, in New Delhi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan engaged in discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explore avenues for deepening the bilateral relationship between the United Arab Emirates and India, with the talks taking place at Hyderabad House during the 18th BRICS Summit. These discussions encompassed a broad spectrum of topics including economic collaboration, investment opportunities, trade relations, and the expansive Comprehensive Strategic Partnership binding the two nations.
During the meeting, Sheikh Khaled and Modi reviewed the progress made under the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, known as CEPA, which has established itself as a pivotal framework facilitating the expansion of trade activities between the two economies. The discussions also touched on political relations, cooperation in energy, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people interactions, with both leaders considering how existing bilateral mechanisms can support further commercial and institutional collaboration under agreements already in place between the UAE and India.
Representing the UAE, Sheikh Khaled attended the BRICS Summit on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while Modi welcomed the UAE delegation during India’s chairmanship of the group in 2026. Both sides affirmed their commitment to continued coordination through BRICS on shared interests and highlighted recent high-level exchanges, including Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to India in January 2026 and Modi’s visit to the UAE in May.
Investment Initiatives Enhance Economic Collaboration
Investment opportunities played a significant role in the discussions, with particular emphasis on India’s industrial sector. The leaders expressed approval of International Holding Company’s announcement of an $11.5 billion integrated greenfield aluminium project in Odisha, which India has recognized as the country’s largest integrated aluminium investment. The dialogue also included the potential involvement of L’Imad, the UAE’s newest sovereign fund, in existing bilateral investment channels that connect Emirati capital with projects and economic ventures across India.
The agenda extended to defence, space exploration, nuclear energy, technology, and innovation, highlighting the broadening scope of the partnership which already encompasses energy, manufacturing, logistics, food products, and engineering goods. Since establishing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2017, both nations have expanded their cooperation in new sectors while maintaining long-standing trade and energy links that remain vital to their mutual economic interests.
Bilateral Commerce Hits New Peak
The volume of trade between India and the UAE reached $101.25 billion during India’s 2025-26 financial year, marking the highest recorded level of bilateral merchandise trade to date. During this period, the UAE ranked as India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination, with Indian exports surpassing $37.35 billion. Both governments have also set an ambitious target to elevate total bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032.
The UAE-India CEPA, which was implemented on May 1, 2022, following the signing of the agreement earlier that year, has contributed to this surge by reducing or eliminating tariffs on a wide array of products and facilitating greater access across various service sectors. The agreement also aimed to address technical barriers affecting trade. The recent high-level meetings in New Delhi further reinforce this robust relationship, underpinned by CEPA, regular leadership exchanges, and cooperation across trade, investment, and strategic sectors.