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Abu Dhabi Chamber and FICCI Expand UAE-India Business Partnership

Art Ryan

The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) have expanded their cooperation with a new agreement aimed at creating more business opportunities between Abu Dhabi and India. This Abu Dhabi Chamber and FICCI partnership marks a significant step forward in enhancing bilateral business relations.

The agreement was signed during the India-UAE Business Forum in Mumbai, bringing together companies and business leaders from both markets to discuss trade, investment and potential partnerships.

The timing is notable. Indian companies already have a significant presence in Abu Dhabi, while the UAE continues to position the emirate as a regional base for investment, technology, finance and international expansion.

A New Business Framework Connects Abu Dhabi and Indian Companies

The new agreement creates a broader framework for cooperation between Abu Dhabi’s private sector and India’s business community. The two organisations will work together to identify commercial opportunities, encourage investment and connect companies looking to establish relationships in each other’s markets.

The partnership gives businesses a more direct channel for exploring market opportunities rather than relying only on individual contacts or one-off business meetings. FICCI will bring its extensive network of Indian businesses into the relationship, while Abu Dhabi Chamber will connect participating companies with the emirate’s wider commercial ecosystem.

For companies considering expansion, those connections can be particularly valuable when entering an unfamiliar market.

114 Companies Take Part in India-UAE Business Forum

The agreement was signed alongside the India-UAE Business Forum in Mumbai, where 114 companies from the UAE and India participated in discussions covering trade, investment and joint ventures.

The forum brought together businesses from both sides and created an environment for companies to discuss specific commercial opportunities. The Confederation of Indian Industry and IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry also participated.

The involvement of private-sector organisations gives the initiative a practical focus. Instead of limiting cooperation to institutional discussions, the forum creates opportunities for companies to find potential customers, suppliers, investors and strategic partners.

Clean Energy and Industry 4.0 Become Key Areas of Cooperation

The agreement places particular attention on sectors that are becoming increasingly important to both economies. Joint working groups will focus on areas including clean energy, smart industry and Industry 4.0, the digital economy and smart infrastructure.

These sectors reflect the changing nature of investment between the UAE and India. Both markets are putting greater resources into digital technologies, advanced manufacturing, sustainable energy and connected infrastructure.

For businesses operating in these fields, stronger institutional links can make it easier to identify investment opportunities, technology partners and potential routes into new markets.

Startups and SMEs Get a Bigger Role in the Partnership

The agreement also gives startups and small and medium-sized businesses a place within the wider UAE-India commercial relationship. Abu Dhabi Chamber and FICCI plan to support companies through connections to incubation and acceleration programmes, particularly in areas such as energy, fintech, healthtech and smart mobility.

For smaller companies, entering an international market can be difficult even when demand exists for their products or services. Finding the right investor, distributor, technology partner or local business connection often becomes the bigger challenge.

The partnership is designed to help close that gap by giving startups and SMEs access to wider networks and business programmes in both markets.

More Than 21,000 Indian Companies Are Already Active in Abu Dhabi

The new agreement builds on an established Indian business presence in the emirate. According to figures highlighted around the announcement, 21,085 active Indian companies were registered with Abu Dhabi Chamber as of August 2026.

That number shows how deeply connected the two business communities already are. Indian companies operate across a wide range of sectors in Abu Dhabi, while the emirate continues to attract businesses seeking access to the UAE and wider regional markets.

The growth has also accelerated in recent years, with 4,642 new Indian companies joining Abu Dhabi Chamber in 2025. The new FICCI partnership therefore adds another layer of support to an already substantial commercial community.

UAE-India Trade Continues to Move Above $100 Billion

The expansion of business cooperation comes against a much larger trade relationship between the UAE and India. Bilateral trade reached approximately US$101.25 billion during the 2025-2026 financial year, highlighting the scale of economic activity between the two countries.

Both sides are also working toward a longer-term target of approximately US$200 billion in bilateral trade by 2032. The UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which entered into force in 2022, has provided an important framework for increasing trade and investment.

The Abu Dhabi Chamber-FICCI agreement brings the focus closer to individual businesses by creating additional channels for companies to act on those broader economic opportunities.

Abu Dhabi Strengthens Its Position as a Gateway for Indian Businesses

For Indian companies, Abu Dhabi offers a base from which they can serve the UAE and explore opportunities across the wider region. The emirate has been investing heavily in sectors such as technology, finance, clean energy, advanced industry and digital infrastructure.

That combination is increasingly attractive to companies that want more than a traditional trading presence. Businesses can use Abu Dhabi as a platform for regional operations, investment partnerships and expansion into new markets.

The relationship works in the other direction as well. Abu Dhabi companies looking toward India can use FICCI’s business network to identify potential partners, customers and investment opportunities in one of Asia’s largest economies.

Business Missions and Investment Events Will Drive the Next Phase

The agreement includes plans for trade missions, business delegations, economic forums and business visits, giving companies opportunities to meet potential partners in person.

The two organisations will also exchange market information, technical knowledge and training opportunities while working to identify challenges that could affect trade and investment.

These activities may become one of the most practical parts of the partnership. A business agreement has limited value if companies cannot find a clear route from introductions to actual commercial activity. Regular delegations and targeted business events can help turn institutional cooperation into deals and long-term relationships.

Technology Sits at the Centre of the New UAE-India Opportunity

The sectors selected for cooperation show where the two markets see significant future potential. Digital technologies, smart infrastructure, Industry 4.0, fintech, healthtech, clean energy and smart mobility are all areas where companies from India and the UAE are developing new products and services.

For Abu Dhabi, attracting businesses in these sectors supports its ambition to build a more diversified, technology-driven economy. For Indian companies, the emirate provides access to capital, infrastructure and international business networks.

The combination could create opportunities for technology companies that want to move from domestic growth into international markets.

Abu Dhabi and India Build on an Already Strong Commercial Relationship

The Abu Dhabi Chamber and FICCI agreement does not create a business relationship from scratch. It strengthens one that already includes thousands of Indian companies in Abu Dhabi and more than US$100 billion in annual bilateral trade.

What changes is the structure around that relationship.

With new working groups, startup support, business delegations and sector-specific cooperation, the two organisations are creating more ways for companies to find one another and develop commercial opportunities.

The real test will come through the businesses that emerge from those connections — new investments, joint ventures, technology partnerships and companies using Abu Dhabi as their gateway into the region.

Sources

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