India, UAE Deepen CEPA Ties With Focus on Trade, Pharma, Food & Investments

On 29 August 2025, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal met with H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to further deepen the India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The discussions underscored the resilience of both economies in navigating global uncertainties and the shared ambition to strengthen one of the 21st century’s defining economic alliances.

The bilateral meeting reviewed the implementation of CEPA, which has already begun reshaping trade and investment flows since its signing in 2022. Both leaders reaffirmed their shared vision of achieving USD 100 billion in non-oil, non-precious metals trade by 2030 and committed to expanding cooperation in emerging sectors such as renewable energy, digital infrastructure, supply chain resilience, and healthcare.

Key Takeaways From the Bilateral Talks

• Trade Monitoring: Both sides agreed on timely trade data sharing to ensure effective monitoring of CEPA commitments. The Sub-Committee on Services will meet within two months.

• Pharmaceutical Sector: India welcomed the creation of the Emirates Drug Establishment, which will help address regulatory concerns of Indian pharmaceutical exporters. Both ministers pledged to resolve market access and regulatory challenges swiftly through the CEPA Joint Committee.

• Investments: Shri Goyal welcomed the UAE’s growing role as a major investor in infrastructure, logistics, and food processing in India.

• Trade Facilitation: The two sides emphasized the importance of the Local Currency Settlement System (INR–AED) and initiatives like Bharat Mart in the UAE to streamline and strengthen bilateral trade.

Sectoral Consultations With Stakeholders

On 30 August 2025, Shri Piyush Goyal and Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi co-chaired sector-specific stakeholder consultations with representatives from the pharmaceutical and food industries, followed by a business interaction with industry leaders.

Pharma and Healthcare Cooperation

In light of geopolitical challenges and supply chain shifts, discussions in the pharmaceutical sector centered on:

• Expediting drug registration processes in the UAE.

• Facilitating regulatory inspections and audits of Indian companies by UAE authorities.

• Expanding cooperation in traditional medicine, particularly promoting Ayurvedic products as part of the India–UAE partnership.

The UAE side expressed readiness to accelerate approvals, while the Indian side reiterated its openness and compliance with regulatory standards, strengthening the foundation for growth in pharma trade.

Food and Agritech Opportunities

In the food sector, significant initiatives were launched to expand market access and promote innovation:

• APEDA launched the Bharati Scheme, aimed at incubating over 100 food and agritech startups. The scheme will support brand-building, business-to-business collaborations, and international expansion.

• APEDA signed an MoU with the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) for India to be the Partner Country at Gulfood 2026, securing 1200 sqm of exhibition space for Indian firms across food, marine, tea, coffee, and spices categories.

• Indian exporters raised concerns over high retail prices, pricing norms, and mandatory testing of rice consignments. The UAE assured that these concerns will be addressed through regulatory facilitation.

Business Interaction and Vision for the Future

Later, Shri Goyal and Dr. Thani engaged with leading industry representatives, highlighting the achievements of CEPA in just three years and outlining a bold roadmap for the future.

• India’s Economic Outlook: Shri Goyal highlighted India’s 7.8% growth in the latest quarter, reiterating the nation’s ambition to become a USD 5 trillion economy by 2027 and a USD 32–35 trillion economy by 2047. He stressed the role of tax reforms, ease of doing business measures, and regulatory simplification in enabling this growth.

• UAE’s Perspective: Dr. Thani emphasized that despite global turbulence, the India–UAE partnership has proven to be a resilient driver of growth. He described India as the world’s fourth-largest economy, a technological powerhouse, and a major agricultural hub, while positioning the UAE as India’s gateway to Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

A Defining 21st Century Partnership

The meetings over 29–30 August highlighted the strategic depth of the India–UAE relationship, anchored in CEPA. With growing cooperation across pharmaceuticals, agritech, renewable energy, logistics, and digital ecosystems, both nations are working to transform their partnership into a model of innovation-driven, sustainable, and inclusive growth.

As India and the UAE look ahead, CEPA stands as more than a trade agreement—it is a blueprint for prosperity, offering a framework for mutual benefit in a rapidly changing global order.