As a sequel to the recent visit by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India in January, Emirati businessman and Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Business and Philanthropy Badr Jafar was on a two-day visit to New Delhi and Mumbai.

 

The UAE President’s visit confirmed that bilateral trade had surpassed US$100 billion in 2025, five years ahead of schedule. A new annual target of US$200 billion by 2032 was also announced.

Such high-level engagements aim 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.

Jafar also 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.

Following the meetings, he 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.”

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

Jafar 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.”

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.

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.

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.” – editor@nrifocus.com