On September 19, 2025, the Hon'ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to strengthen bilateral trade, deepen investment ties, and explore new avenues of cooperation. He co-chaired the UAE–India Business Council (UIBC) Roundtable with His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, UAE. They discussed enhancing bilateral trade and investment flows, strengthening business partnerships, and identifying new areas of economic collaboration, including progress on projects like Bharat Mart and the India UAE Friendship Hospital. An interaction session with prominent UAE business leaders, coordinated by Mr. Nilesh Ved, Chairman of the Apparel Group, focused on expanding investment outreach. UAE investors shared perspectives on market access, regulatory processes, and dispute resolution. India's recent economic performance – recording 7.8% GDP growth in Q1 of FY 2025-26 – was noted, with inflation remaining under control. The Hon'ble Minister held focused discussions with Ms. Hana Al Rostamani (CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank), Mr. Irfan Allana (IFFCO Group), and Mr. Sharafuddin Sharaf (Sharaf Group). He also interacted with representatives of the India People's Forum. The release ID is 2168753. Abhishek Dayal and Abhijith Narayanan are the contacts.
Key Entities Referenced
United Arab Emirates (UAE): A key partner country of India in strengthening bilateral trade and investment.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry: The Indian ministry responsible for handling matters related to commerce and industry and leading the delegation.
India-UAE relations: The bilateral relationship between India and the UAE, focused on strengthening economic ties.
India UAE Friendship Hospital: A cornerstone project to enhance bilateral trade and investments and impact the wider Indian diaspora in UAE.
Bharat Mart: A cornerstone project to enhance bilateral trade and investments and impact the wider Indian diaspora in UAE.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Visit of Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry
to UAE Advances Investment Dialogue and Deepens
Economic Partnership
Posted On: 19 SEP 2025 8:43PM by PIB Delhi
The Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, held a series of meetings in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) focused strengthening bilateral trade, deepening investment ties, and exploring new
avenues of cooperation to further enhance India-UAE relations.
The Hon’ble Minister engaged with CEOs of prominent Indian and UAE companies during the UAE–India
Business Council (UIBC) Roundtable, which he co-chaired alongside His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed
Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, UAE. Both leaders expressed deep satisfaction over the ever-growing
economic partnership between India and UAE. They highlighted the significant role played by the business
community in furthering the relationship between the two countries. There were discussions around exchange
of views on enhancing bilateral trade and investment flows, strengthening business partnerships, and
identifying new areas of economic collaboration. Progress on key cornerstone projects like Bharat Mart and
India UAE Friendship Hospital were also discussed and the role they would play in enhancing bilateral trade
and investments as well as impact on the wider Indian diaspora in UAE were also outlined. The Hon’ble
Minister and His Excellency Dr. Thani also noted the increasing role of business leaders in philanthropic
initiatives and further commented on the constructive role of these initiatives for the wider community. Both
the leaders invited businesses to not just explore opportunities in India and in the UAE but also widen their
scope and ambition to other regions, such as Africa, Europe and Central Asia.
An interaction session between Hon’ble Minister and prominent UAE business leaders was coordinated by
Mr. Nilesh Ved, Chairman of the Apparel Group. Discussions focused on expanding the investment outreach
and highlighting India’s potential to support UAE companies’ regional and global ambitions. The Hon’ble
Minister outlined the recent progress made by the Indian economy in terms of macroeconomic growth,
infrastructure development and social inclusion and further emphasized India’s growth path towards ‘Viksit
Bharat’. He invited UAE businesses to leverage the upcoming growth opportunities in India.
During these engagements, UAE investors shared constructive perspectives on further enhancing the
investment environment, including issues related to market access, regulatory processes, and dispute
resolution. Matters such as arbitration frameworks and predictability of enforcement were also discussed in a
forward-looking manner. The Hon’ble Minister reiterated India’s commitment to providing a transparent and
facilitative business environment, and highlighted the Government’s sustained focus on reforms to strengthen
investor confidence. India’s recent economic performance – recording 7.8% GDP growth in the last quarter
(Q1 of FY 2025-26) with inflation remaining under control-was noted as a reflection of both resilience and
momentum, positioning India as one of the most attractive global investment destinations.
The Hon’ble Minister held focused discussions with Ms. Hana Al Rostamani, CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank,
Mr. Irfan Allana, IFFCO Group and Mr. Sharafuddin Sharaf, Sharaf Group. These discussions focused on
growth pathways for the companies to enhance their India presence and deepen financial and economic
partnerships between businesses of both countries.
The Hon’ble Minister also interacted with representatives of the India People’s Forum, reflecting the
continued engagement with the Indian diaspora and its integral role in strengthening the cultural and
economic bonds between India and the UAE. He highlighted the significant contributions made by the Indian
diaspora in the UAE and its role in driving economic partnership between both countries.UAE is amongst India’s most important strategic partners. Their comprehensive strategic partnership is
marked by deep political engagement, strong economic integration through landmark agreements, and
collaboration across sectors like energy, defence, technology, and food security.
***
Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan
(Release ID: 2168753)