India and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday broadened the scope of their strategic partnership after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with agreements covering defence, energy, space, digital infrastructure and trade.
Briefing the media at the end of the visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described it as short in duration but substantial in outcomes, saying discussions extended beyond the scheduled time and reflected the maturity of bilateral ties.
Misri said the two sides signed a Letter of Intent to work towards a framework for a strategic defence partnership, reflecting what he described as a high level of mutual trust and a shared assessment of regional and global security challenges.
On energy cooperation, he announced the conclusion of a ten-year LNG sale and purchase agreement for the supply of 0.5 million metric tonnes per annum starting from 2028, adding that this makes the UAE India’s second-largest LNG supplier.
The foreign secretary said cooperation is expanding into advanced domains, with a Letter of Intent signed between India’s space regulatory body and the UAE Space Agency covering space infrastructure, satellite fabrication, launch facilities, joint missions and training.
He also said both sides agreed to explore cooperation in advanced nuclear technologies, including large reactors, small modular reactors, operations, maintenance and nuclear safety.
On digital cooperation, Misri said the two countries will work towards setting up a supercomputing cluster in India with UAE partnership and explore UAE investments in expanding India’s data centre capacity, alongside exploratory discussions on establishing a digital or data embassy.
He said a Letter of Intent was also signed for UAE participation in the development of the Dholera Special Investment Region, including projects linked to airports, aviation training and MRO facilities, ports, smart urban infrastructure, energy and connectivity.
On trade, Misri said bilateral commerce has crossed $100 billion under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, with both leaders agreeing to aim for $200 billion by 2032 and to accelerate work on the Virtual Trade Corridor, Bharat Africa Setu and interlinking national payment systems, building on mechanisms such as UPI rollout and the Jaywan card.
Misri said the leaders also agreed to establish a ‘House of India’ in Abu Dhabi, noted the Prime Minister’s appreciation for the welfare of the Indian diaspora in the UAE, and discussed regional developments in West Asia, expressing support for peace and stability and condemning terrorism in all its forms.
