NEW DELHI / RankWire.AI / – On September 12, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. During their encounter at Hyderabad House amid the 18th BRICS Summit, the leaders explored avenues to deepen the UAE-India relationship and foster collaboration across vital sectors. Their discussions centered on enhancing economic ties, investment opportunities, and advancing the broader Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations.
Both leaders examined their cooperation under the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, known as CEPA. They also reflected on the longstanding political, commercial, cultural, energy, and people-to-people connections binding their countries. The dialogue aimed at uncovering further prospects for cooperation in areas that are now central to their bilateral relationship. Additionally, the meeting emphasized mutual interests as the UAE and India maintained consistent engagement across economic and strategic sectors.
Sheikh Khaled represented the UAE at the BRICS Summit on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Modi expressed his welcome for the UAE’s participation, highlighting its role during India’s upcoming 2026 BRICS presidency. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to pursue shared priorities and deepen collaboration within the group, recalling Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to India in January 2026 and Modi’s trip to the UAE in May 2026.
New investments and strategic collaborations drive agenda forward
The discussions underscored recent growth in bilateral investments. The leaders applauded the announced plan by International Holding Company to develop an $11.5 billion integrated greenfield aluminium project in Odisha, which India labels as its largest integrated aluminium investment. They also discussed how L’Imad, the UAE’s latest sovereign investment fund, will support bilateral investment and economic collaboration across sectors identified by both nations.
Opportunities in defence, space, nuclear energy, technology, and innovation featured prominently in their talks. These sectors complement an economic relationship already spanning energy, manufacturing, logistics, food products, electronics, and engineering goods. The conversation underscored the expanding scope of the UAE-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2017, with both governments actively moving beyond traditional trade and energy into technology-driven and capital-heavy industries.
Trade between UAE and India surpasses $100 billion
During India’s 2025-26 fiscal year, bilateral trade reached a record $101.25 billion. The UAE ranked as India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination for that period, with Indian exports to the UAE exceeding $37.35 billion. Following the UAE president’s visit to India in January 2026, both countries committed to boosting bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032, building on the growth since CEPA’s implementation.
The UAE-India CEPA, which entered into force on May 1, 2022, after its signing in February of that year, eliminated or reduced tariffs on over 80% of the products exported from UAE to India. It also expanded market access for services and addressed technical barriers to trade. The ongoing high-level engagement between the two nations, exemplified by this meeting, underscores their dedication to strengthening commercial, investment, and strategic links through existing bilateral frameworks.