Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry signed a cooperation agreement during the India–UAE Business Forum in Mumbai, according to the Chamber’s 8 October announcement. The forum, organised with FICCI as host partner and with participation from CII and IMC, brought together 114 companies to explore trade, investment and joint ventures. The new agreement creates institutional channels for businesses in both markets.

The partnership will establish joint working groups in clean energy, smart industry and Industry 4.0, digital economy and smart infrastructure, investment and capital markets, and SME and startup financing. It also provides for market research, trade delegations, business visits, economic forums, technical expertise and training. Abu Dhabi-based small and medium-sized businesses are to be supported in accessing FICCI’s international network and incubation or acceleration programmes.

The Chamber said bilateral trade reached US$101.25 billion in fiscal year 2025–26, while the two countries target US$200 billion by 2032. These are a reported trade total and a future policy target, not a forecast guaranteed by the chamber agreement. The target depends on future goods and services flows, investment, market access and wider economic conditions; the cooperation framework is one proposed channel for firms to identify opportunities.

The business network in Abu Dhabi is also growing. The Chamber reported 21,085 active Indian companies registered as of August 2026. In 2025, 4,642 new Indian companies joined, up 38.8 percent year on year; new registrations had a compound annual growth rate of 44.6 percent between 2020 and 2025. Those company-registration figures track a chamber roster, not necessarily the complete population of Indian-owned businesses or their revenues and employment.

FICCI’s network reaches more than 250,000 companies through regional chambers, giving the agreement a potential connection base across India. The parties say the framework is intended to help firms find partners and information, and to support startup programmes in energy, fintech, health technology and smart mobility. No contract value, financing commitment or specific joint project was announced. The text sets out mechanisms for cooperation rather than a pipeline of approved investments.

For businesses, the agreement’s value will depend on whether working groups translate broad sector themes into actionable introductions, market information and projects. A chamber partnership can lower search costs and help smaller firms navigate unfamiliar networks, but it cannot substitute for product compliance, commercial due diligence, financing or customer demand. The published trade and registration numbers show the scale of existing ties; later evidence should report deals completed, investment delivered and participating firms’ outcomes.