NEW DELHI, 13th November, 2026 (WAM) — Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, held four bilateral meetings with N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of the State of Andhra Pradesh; Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India; Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Minister of Civil Aviation of the Republic of India; and Nara Lokesh, Minister for Information Technology, Electronics, Communications, Digital Governance, and Human Resource Development in the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
The meetings explored ways to strengthen economic partnerships between the UAE and India in the coming period across food security, the new economy, tourism, entrepreneurship, logistics, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The meetings took place on the sidelines of Bin Touq’s participation in the 31st edition of the Partnership Summit, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), held in Andhra Pradesh on 12th and 13th November, 2026.
During the meetings, Bin Touq said that the UAE and India enjoy strong strategic and economic relations, reflecting the depth of their partnership and its continued development across various sectors.
He highlighted the UAE’s commitment to working closely with its Indian partners in the public and private sectors to advance economic cooperation, unlock new opportunities for the business communities of both countries, support sustainable economic growth and enhance the competitiveness of their business environments.
Bin Touq noted that economic and tourism cooperation between the UAE and India continues to grow, with approximately 256,077 Indian companies currently operating in the UAE.
A total of 42,355 Indian companies entered the UAE market during the first nine months of 2026, representing an increase of 18.14 percent compared to the same period last year.
He added that the total number of direct flights between the UAE and India reached approximately 1,153 per week in October 2026.
During his meeting with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Bin Touq outlined the UAE’s vision and efforts to develop economic clusters, including the Food Cluster, and its vital role in establishing an integrated ecosystem connecting the various stages of the food value chain, from production to manufacturing and distribution.
He explained that the initiative aims to enhance the efficiency of the national food ecosystem, increase the contribution of related activities to gross domestic product (GDP), and create promising investment and partnership opportunities with India.
The meeting also explored opportunities to capitalise on Andhra Pradesh’s economic strengths, expand the presence of UAE companies in the state, exchange expertise in developing the business environment, and support the growth of SMEs.
These efforts aim to establish long-term partnerships between the public and private sectors and create broader opportunities for cooperation between the business communities of both sides.
During his meeting with India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Bin Touq discussed ways to expand the economic partnership between the two countries in priority sectors.
The discussions included exchanging views on future economic and development policies, identifying priorities for the next phase, and strengthening the private sector’s role in driving economic growth.
Both sides also explored opportunities to benefit from their respective development experiences and establish new avenues of cooperation that support economic growth, foster more sustainable and resilient economic models, and enhance their ability to adapt to global economic transformations.
In his meeting with India’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Bin Touq discussed prospects for advancing the UAE-India partnership in the aviation sector and boosting travel and tourism between the two countries to support the growth of bilateral economic relations.
Both sides reaffirmed the strength of bilateral relations and their continued development across various fields, particularly the economic and tourism sectors, which has contributed to the growth of air traffic.
India ranked as the UAE’s largest source market for international visitors in 2025, accounting for 14 percent of total international visitors.
During his meeting with Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Bin Touq explored ways to strengthen cooperation in developing the digital economy and expanding the use of advanced technological solutions to support business growth and improve economic efficiency.
The discussions also addressed opportunities for cooperation in financial technology (FinTech) and the development of its applications, with the aim of accelerating digital transformation, stimulating innovation and enhancing the competitiveness of the business environments in both countries.
Source: Emirates News Agency