The UAE-India Business Council, UAE Chapter(UIBC-UC ), has announced an ambitious roadmap for 2026 aimed at deepening economic cooperation between India and the United Arab Emirates and translating policy commitments into tangible outcomes.The announcement comes in the wake of the recent visit of the UAE President to India, where talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed the strength of the bilateral partnership under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA. The council said the relationship continues to expand across trade, investment, technology, infrastructure and people-to-people engagement.
At the centre of the 2026 roadmap are four research papers intended to guide investment and policy coordination. These will focus on artificial intelligence collaboration, UAE sovereign wealth fund participation in India’s infrastructure expansion, consumer and supply chain integration under CEPA, and joint India-UAE ventures in Africa.The council also plans at least two UAE-to-India business missions next year, along with inbound delegations from India, targeting sectors such as infrastructure, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, fintech and healthcare innovation.UIBC-UC said the initiatives are aligned with a revised ambition to scale bilateral trade and investment to 200 billion US dollars, supporting leadership-level decisions with sustained, ground-level execution.
Building on initiatives undertaken in 2025, the council highlighted key milestones including the India-UAE Partners in Progress Conclave, high-level engagements with India’s commerce minister Piyush Goyal, progress on the UAE-India Friendship Hospital project, and education initiatives such as the Dream School project in Kashmir. It also pointed to its participation in the official delegation accompanying Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum during his visit to India.
