India, UAE review progress of CEPA, agree to expand bilateral trade to 200bn US dollar by 2030

 
India and United Arab Emirates have reviewed the progress made under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Trade of the UAE Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Mumbai. During the meeting, Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation (BHARATI) initiative by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was also launched. This program is a cornerstone of APEDA’s ambitious vision to achieve 50 billion US dollars in agri-food exports by 2030.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the two countries reaffirmed their shared vision of expanding bilateral trade to achieve the trade target of hundred billion US dollar non-oil, non-precious metals by 2030. It added, India and UAE also discussed collaboration in emerging sectors such as renewable energy, digital infrastructure, supply chain resilience, and healthcare. Both sides also underlined the need for timely trade data sharing for better monitoring under CEPA and agreed that the Sub-Committee on Services will convene within two months. The Ministry said that the Indian side welcomed the formation of the Emirates Drug Establishment and its role in addressing concerns of Indian pharmaceutical companies. Mr Goyal welcomed UAE’s growing investments in the country’s infrastructure, logistics, and food processing sectors, and appreciated Thani’s leadership in advancing multilateral trade cooperation. 
The Ministers noted the importance of initiatives such as the Local Currency Settlement System and Bharat Mart in the UAE as enablers of trade facilitation. The meeting underscored the India-UAE partnership as a defining alliance of the 21st century, rooted in innovation, sustainability, and shared prosperity. Both Ministers also emphasised on working closely in the current global scenario to strengthen the bilateral economic partnership and for mutual benefit.