As Indians around the world celebrate India's 76th Republic Day, they feel a deep sense of pride and joy at their nation’s momentous achievements since it broke its colonial shackles in 1947.
As India marches ahead in the golden period leading up to what will be 100 years of independence in 2047, it is on course to become a developed country. Just as India looks towards a more prosperous future with unwavering confidence, so does the India-UAE partnership, which is among the most defining partnerships for both countries in this century.
In the past 18 months, there have been six top-level visits between the two countries. This is a testament to the resolute commitment of the leadership in both countries towards this partnership and the importance it holds. The realisation on both sides is clear and it is that our futures are intertwined.
What began centuries ago with trade in spices and pearls between India and the UAE, has now blossomed into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marked by strategic convergence and mutual trust.
In 2022, President Sheikh Mohamed and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a "Joint Vision Statement" outlining the roadmap for the future of India-UAE ties. The vision of the two leaders has ushered in an extraordinary transformation.
Within a span of just a few years, the countries have started, and in many cases implemented, collaborations in payment in local currencies and interlinked their payment systems, AI and data centres, civilian nuclear energy, grid interconnection and electricity trade, green hydrogen, critical minerals, food park development, innovative health projects, and so on.
The signing of India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa) in 2022 gave a major boost to trade relations. The results are already visible in the form of surging trade, particularly non-oil trade. Last year, during Mr Modi's visit to the UAE, the two sides signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty (Bit). In fact, the UAE is the only country with which India has both, an active treaty and such a partnership agreement. With the strong framework now provided by Cepa and Bit, the trade and investment between the two sides is poised to reach even greater heights.
Last year's announcement of the new Dubai trading market for Indian manufacturers, Bharat Mart, at Jebel Ali was yet another great achievement of the India-UAE friendship, which will allow both nations to leverage each other’s strengths and provide a platform for Indian businesses to access global markets.
The two sides have also begun working on a Virtual Trade Corridor, launched by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, envisaged as a crucial component of the futuristic India Middle-East Europe Economic Corridor. All of the above initiatives are potentially revolutionary and will bring businesses closer, creating interdependencies between India and the UAE.
The two countries are also connecting digitally and financially. India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is now widely used in the UAE. The UAE’s “Jaywan” domestic credit and debit card system is based on India’s RuPay stack. Rupee-Dirham agreement will enable the two sides to settle cross-border trade transactions in their respective local currencies.
The partnership between India and the UAE is now foraying into newer areas of collaboration. During Sheikh Khaled’s visit to India last September, both countries signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy. During the visit of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to India last December, an agreement to explore co-operation in polar regions was signed. Green Hydrogen and supercomputers are among other future oriented areas of collaboration.
The establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi-Abu Dhabi Campus and commencement of the courses at the institute last year is a symbol of the commitment of the two countries to create a future-ready workforce. Apart from the IIT, there will soon be overseas campuses of two other Indian institutions in the UAE: the Indian Institute of Management and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.
It is estimated that more than 4 million Indians live in the UAE, the largest number of Indian nationals in any country. These numbers tell a story of their own, a story of great care and warmth of the UAE’s leadership towards the Indian community and the depth of the partnership.
The Baps Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi is emblematic of the countries' visionary leadership and shared values of peace and harmony.
So when Sheikh Khaled, during his visit to India last year planted an "amaltas" (Indian Laburnum) sapling at Rajghat, not only did he honour the tradition started by the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, but he also planted the seed for, and nourished, the future of the India-UAE partnership, a shared future which is brighter and more prosperous.
