The Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) is actively targeting Indian businesses through a strategic DMCC India roadshow, visiting New Delhi and Mumbai as part of its "Made for Trade Live" series. The campaign is designed to bring more Indian companies into the free zone and accelerate the UAE-India trade relationship toward the $100 billion mark.
DMCC India Roadshow: What Happened in Delhi and Mumbai
The "Made for Trade Live" roadshow engaged more than 200 Indian government officials and business leaders across both cities. DMCC officials showcased the free zone's infrastructure, its business-friendly regulatory environment, and Dubai's role as a gateway to global markets. The sessions highlighted the practical advantages for Indian firms seeking international expansion—particularly access to commodities, logistics, and financial markets through a Dubai base.
UAE-India Trade Corridor Reaches $85bn After CEPA
The roadshow builds on real momentum. Bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and India reached $85 billion in the most recent reporting period, a 16% jump in 2023 that followed the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The CEPA removes tariffs on 90% of India's exports to Dubai—including gems and jewellery, food products, and energy—making the corridor significantly more competitive for Indian exporters.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and CEO of DMCC, pointed to the agreement as a catalyst. "The UAE and India are expected to trade over $100 billion in the next five years because of more diversified and expanding trade and investment relations," he said. "These findings reveal more improvement in bilateral relations—but most importantly, new tangible business opportunities on the ground." He reaffirmed DMCC's commitment to offering Indian companies a credible platform to access global markets from Dubai.
Indian Companies Form DMCC's Largest Membership Group
The depth of the India-Dubai relationship is already visible inside DMCC itself. Of the free zone's 24,928 total members, 3,888 are Indian—the single largest national cohort. That number continues to grow as more Indian firms in technology, precious metals, diamonds, gold, and agriculture choose Dubai as their international hub.
Key Sectors: Technology, Gems, Gold, and Agriculture
India and the wider South Asian market remain a core strategic focus for DMCC, especially in high-growth sectors. Technology companies are drawn to DMCC's digital infrastructure; the gems and jewellery trade has deep historical roots; and agricultural commodities represent a growing frontier. In 2018, DMCC signed a major partnership deal with the Bharat Subcontinent Agri Foundation to expand the global agricultural commodities spectrum—a relationship that continues to underpin DMCC's engagement with Indian agri-exporters.
What This Means for Indian Businesses
For Indian companies considering international expansion, the roadshow offered a clear message: Dubai—specifically the DMCC free zone—offers a regulated, well-connected environment with direct access to markets across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The CEPA makes the cost of entry lower than ever, and DMCC's existing Indian membership network provides a ready community of peers.
The $100 billion trade target, once a long-range ambition, is now within reach ahead of the 2030 timeline as both governments deepen cooperation and DMCC continues its active outreach into the Indian market.
