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Dubai Chambers has successfully concluded the Dubai–India Business Forum today in Mumbai. The event was organised on the sidelines of the visit of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, to India.
The forum focused on ways to enhance strategic economic opportunities between the two markets and was attended by over 200 senior officials and investors, including a delegation featuring 39 prominent business leaders from Dubai.
The event comes three years after the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and India on 18 February 2022 – the UAE’s first bilateral agreement under its CEPA programme – and coincides with strong momentum in bilateral relations.
During the forum, participants explored avenues to enhance trade and investment ties between the business communities in Dubai and India, as well as identifying opportunities to launch new joint ventures and strategic partnerships. Discussions focused on the competitive advantages and economic prospects of both markets, and how to harness these strengths to drive growth in bilateral trade and investments.
During his opening remarks, His Excellency Ahmad bin Byat, Vice Chairman of Dubai Chambers, commented: “Dubai and India share an exceptional relationship built on mutual trust and a commitment to economic integration. India holds an important position as a key trading partner for Dubai. The value of non-oil trade between our markets exceeded AED142 billion during the first nine months of 2024, achieving year-over-year growth of 19%. As we mark the third anniversary of the CEPA between the UAE and India, we are confident bilateral trade will continue to accelerate and flourish over the long term.”
His Excellency Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, said: “Dubai holds a strategic position for Indian companies as a preferred investment destination due to its unique competitive advantages. Indian investors form a key part of Dubai’s business landscape, with 72,651 active Indian companies registered as members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce by the end of March 2025. In addition, 4,563 new Indian companies joined the chamber during Q1 2025, marking year-over-year growth of 16.2%. Indian companies now rank first in terms of the number of foreign businesses operating in Dubai that are registered as members of Dubai Chamber of Commerce.”
His Excellency added: “Organising the Dubai–India Business Forum in Mumbai reflects our commitment to strengthening cooperation between the business communities in both markets and identifying new opportunities across a range of vital sectors. The event offers a unique platform to deepen economic ties, explore potential joint investments, and examine innovative ideas that support long-term commercial partnerships and mutual development goals.”
The forum included a panel discussion featuring HE Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, together with R Mukundan, Vice President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (Cll); Adeeb Ahamed, Chair of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICO) - Arab Council; and Anant Singhania, Past President & Current Managing Committee Member of the IMCChamber of Commerce and Industry.
The session explored the future of Dubai-India relations in trade, investment, and international expansion amid global economic shifts. It also highlighted Dubai’s role as a strategic launchpad for Indian companies expanding into international markets, and discussed how businesses can benefit from Dubai’s position as a leading trade and investment hub, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation and enhance the global competitiveness of both Dubai and India.
The Dubai-India Business Forum contributes to Dubai Chambers’ objectives of boosting strategic economic partnerships, enhancing cross-border trade, and building new investment opportunities locally and globally, as well as identifying fresh avenues for business, trade, and investment between Dubai and key global markets.
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