India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have taken another significant step toward strengthening their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). On August 29, 2025, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, met with UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, to review progress under the agreement and chart out new areas of cooperation. Both leaders reaffirmed their ambitious goal of achieving $100 billion in non-oil, non-precious metals trade by 2030. Discussions focused on expanding collaboration in renewable energy, healthcare, digital infrastructure, and supply chain resilience, with emphasis on improving real-time data sharing to support bilateral trade growth. The CEPA Sub-Committee on Services is also scheduled to meet within the next two months to address specific issues.
India welcomed the involvement of the Emirates Drug Establishment in easing regulatory bottlenecks in the pharmaceutical sector. Both governments agreed to resolve market access and regulatory challenges through the CEPA Joint Committee mechanism. Minister Goyal also praised the UAE for increasing investments in India’s infrastructure, logistics, and food processing industries, which play a crucial role in India’s growth ambitions.
The following day, August 30, 2025, the two ministers engaged with pharmaceutical and food sector representatives. The UAE assured India of quicker regulatory approvals for its pharmaceutical exports, while India highlighted the vast potential of traditional medicine exports, particularly ayurveda. In the food sector, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) introduced the Bharati Scheme, aimed at supporting more than 100 agritech start-ups. Additionally, APEDA signed a memorandum of understanding with Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), officially designating India as the partner country for Gulf Food 2026. India has secured a 1,200-square-meter exhibition space at the event, signaling a major boost for Indian agri-food exports.
At a subsequent business interaction, both sides applauded the progress made under CEPA. Minister Goyal highlighted India’s robust 7.8% quarterly GDP growth and reiterated the government’s goal of achieving a $5 trillion economy by 2027. Meanwhile, Dr. Thani emphasized India’s emergence as the world’s fourth-largest economy and acknowledged the UAE’s role as a strategic gateway to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, making the India–UAE partnership vital for regional and global trade dynamics.
