India and the United Arab Emirates on Monday finalized a series of agreements spanning trade, energy, defense and emerging technologies, as the UAE president met India’s prime minister in New Delhi. The meeting took place as part of a visit aimed at bolstering bilateral and strategic partnership, India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri told reporters.
Misri said the discussions focused on strengthening cooperation across trade, energy, defense and emerging technologies, reaffirming what he described as the comprehensive strategic ties between the two countries that have expanded over the past decade. He said the agreements were designed to help the two sides aim to double bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032.
The report said India and the UAE have been major economic partners in recent years, with trade gaining momentum after the two nations signed a “comprehension economic partnership agreement” in February 2022. The agreement reduced tariffs and expanded market access for goods and services, and the report said bilateral trade has since surpassed $100 billion.
Misri said India signed a pact for importing 0.5 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas annually for 10 years starting in 2028 from the UAE. He also said India and the UAE concluded deals in the space and food sectors, and that the UAE pledged an unspecified amount of investment in Modi’s home state of Gujarat for development of a special investment region.
According to Misri, the special investment region would include infrastructure such as airports, ports and smart urban townships. He said the visit also included a letter of intent to conclude a framework agreement for a strategic defense partnership.
The report said the visit carried particular significance amid heightened tensions and diplomatic churn in West Asia, including recent developments involving Iran and broader regional dynamics. It said there have been simmering tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over Yemen and that an unsettling political scenario continues in Gaza.
The agreements also intersected with ongoing diplomatic activity involving the United States and India. The report said U.S. President Donald Trump last Friday invited Modi to join the Board of Peace on Gaza, and that Indian authorities had not commented on whether the invite has been accepted, though Modi has previously said he has helped bring the war to an end.
Harsh Pant, vice president of foreign policy at the New Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation, said in the context of regional turmoil that the moment was for the two countries “that want stability in the region to exchange notes.” Pant said: “India-UAE relationship is warm, growing and multifaceted. In the context of turmoil in West Asia, and how Trump administration’s plan for Gaza is shaping up, and the crisis with Iran, it’s a moment for both nations that want stability in the region to exchange notes,” he said.
The report said India’s ties with the UAE also reflect deep economic links and diaspora connections across West Asia, and that New Delhi has sought to maintain close engagement with key regional partners as it navigates an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. The developments described by Misri and the agreements announced during the visit underscore the intent of the two countries to remain close partners amid regional uncertainty and global realignments.