- India and United Arab Emirates have signed a series of significant agreements covering energy, defence, maritime infrastructure and artificial intelligence during the visit of Narendra Modi to Abu Dhabi.
- The UAE also announced investments worth $5 billion in India, reflecting the growing strategic and economic partnership between the two countries.
- During bilateral talks, both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of India-UAE relations and highlighted expanding cooperation in areas such as:
- Energy
- Trade and investment
- Defence and security
- Fintech
- Infrastructure
- Education and culture
- Emerging technologies
The two nations also appreciated the success of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which has significantly increased bilateral trade and economic engagement.
UAE Announces $5 Billion Investment in India
The UAE committed investments worth $5 billion through various entities:
- $3 billion investment by Emirates New Development Bank in RBL Bank
- $1 billion investment by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) along with National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF) in infrastructure projects
- $1 billion investment by International Holding Company in Sammaan Capital
Major Energy Agreements
- Energy cooperation emerged as a major focus area during the visit.
- Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) signed a strategic collaboration agreement to strengthen UAE participation in India’s strategic petroleum reserves and explore the creation of strategic gas reserves.
- Additionally, Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) signed a long-term LPG supply agreement with ADNOC.
Defence Cooperation Expanded
India and the UAE signed a Framework for Strategic Defence Partnership aimed at enhancing cooperation in:
- Maritime security
- Cyber defence
- Advanced technologies
- Secure communications
- Defence training
- Information exchange
The agreement is expected to deepen defence industrial collaboration between the two countries.
Maritime and Shipbuilding Collaboration
- A major maritime agreement was signed between Cochin Shipyard Limited and Drydocks World for setting up a ship repair cluster at Vadinar under India’s Maritime Development Fund Scheme.
- Another tripartite agreement involving Cochin Shipyard, Drydocks World and Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS) focuses on skill development in shipbuilding and ship repair.
Partnership in Artificial Intelligence
- India and the UAE also strengthened cooperation in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
- Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) partnered with G42 to establish an 8 Exaflop Super Compute Cluster in India to support the IndiaAI Mission and advanced computing research.
Virtual Trade Corridor Operationalised
- The two countries welcomed the operationalisation of the Virtual Trade Corridor through the MAITRI digital platform.
- The system connects customs and port authorities of both countries to streamline cargo movement, reduce logistics costs and improve trade efficiency.
Significance
The agreements highlight the rapidly expanding India-UAE strategic partnership and reflect growing collaboration in critical sectors such as energy security, defence manufacturing, digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence. The investment commitments are also expected to strengthen India’s infrastructure and technology ecosystem while deepening economic integration between the two nations.