The India–UAE (United Arab Emirates) CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement), signed on 18th February 2022 and implemented from 1st May 2022, marks a landmark achievement in India’s foreign trade trajectory. Celebrating its third anniversary in 2025, the agreement has not only strengthened economic relations but also deepened strategic cooperation between the two major players in Asia and the Middle East.
The CEPA, India’s first comprehensive FTA in the Middle East, covers trade in goods and services, rules of origin, digital trade, customs cooperation, and investment facilitation. It aims to boost non-oil trade to over USD 100 billion within five years and create tremendous job opportunities in both countries.
Three years on, the CEPA has significantly reduced tariff and non-tariff barriers, provided smoother market access for Indian exporters, and attracted UAE investors into key Indian sectors such as infrastructure, logistics, fintech, and renewable energy. The UAE, India’s third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination, has emerged as a gateway to Gulf and African markets.