Bharat Mart, India’s proposed warehousing facility in the United Arab Emirates, could become functional by 2025, allowing Indian exporters to showcase their products under one roof, similar to China’s Dragon Mart, officials said.
While the concept is yet to be finalised, Bharat Mart will span more than 100,000 square metres and be a multipurpose facility, offering a mix of warehouse, retail and hospitality units, they said.
“The idea is to set up a base and do trading from the UAE. The genesis of this project is that China has similar facilities there which are helping their exporters,” said an official, who did not wish to be identified.
The project is crucial as India and the UAE aim to double their non-petroleum trade target to $100 billion by 2030 as part of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into effect last year.
The complex is to be set up in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), a DP World company.
“Bharat Mart is poised to become a mega-distribution hub to support the exports of made in India products to the world,” said Abdulla Al Hashmi, chief operating officer, Parks and Zones, DP World GCC, adding that it will benefit Indian companies planning to expand their operations into Africa, Europe and the US.
This will help reduce the time and cost of shipping goods between India and these countries, Hashmi said. Retail showrooms, warehouses, offices and ancillary facilities will be part of Bharat Mart and designed to accommodate various categories of goods, from perishable items to heavy machinery. A digital platform could also be set up for buyers across the world to procure goods from the facility. “Bharat Mart will immensely help our exporters to showcase their products, not only to buyers in the Middle East but also to Africa and the Central Asian region who frequently visit Dubai for their import needs. The financing options and logistics facilities in the UAE further facilitate the process,” said Ajay Sahai, director general, Federation of Indian Export Organisations.