Dubai and India forge AI corridor as 7,579 new Indian companies join Dubai in first half of 2026

Dubai Chambers Forges AI Corridor Between Dubai and Bengaluru

Dubai Chambers has signed two memoranda of understanding with Indian industry bodies to establish an AI corridor linking Dubai and Bengaluru, creating a global launchpad for Indian AI talent to access markets across the Middle East, Africa and CIS regions1

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. The agreements were signed with NASSCOM and the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry during a high-level visit led by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers2

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. The delegation held eight meetings with Indian and multinational companies and technology startups, engaging with over 50 Indian startups across 16 specialisations including climate tech, fintech, deep tech and AI3

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Agentic AI Adoption Drives New Opportunities for Indian Companies

The MoU with NASSCOM establishes a framework for cooperation in agentic AI and deep tech, aimed at supporting market access for Indian companies seeking to establish a base or expand in Dubai while promoting knowledge-sharing, innovation initiatives, ecosystem engagement and industry collaboration1

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. Dubai's drive to accelerate agentic AI adoption across the private sector is creating opportunities for Indian technology companies, innovators and specialists, with the objective to improve productivity, profitability and service quality across industries including traditional sectors like manufacturing and retail2

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. Lootah emphasized that AI is not looked at as a luxury, with businesses increasingly wanting to know where and how they could begin adopting the technology1

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Indian AI Talent Positioned as Critical Resource for Regional Expansion

Access to talent remains critical as governments and companies around the world launch large AI projects, with Lootah stating that the running fuel of any AI project, especially one of a large magnitude, is AI talent, and that talent is available in India1

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. The challenge is to connect Indian specialists with markets, investors and entrepreneurial opportunities instead of limiting them to roles within large multinational companies1

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. Dubai is seeking to position itself as a testing and growth base for such startups, supported by regulatory sandboxes that allow businesses to trial emerging technologies1

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. Lootah urged Indian technology companies to build their own brands rather than limiting themselves to subcontracting for Western multinational companies2

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Virtual Dubai Desk to Strengthen Trade and Investment Ties

The MoU signed with FKCCI focuses on strengthening trade, investment and business collaboration between Dubai and Karnataka, including plans to establish a Virtual Dubai Desk to serve as a point of contact for companies exploring opportunities in Dubai, along with market-entry guidance, ecosystem orientation and business expansion support2

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. The two sides will organize regular roundtables, knowledge-sharing sessions, inbound and outbound business delegations and sector-focused engagements3

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. A Dubai-Karnataka business event is expected to be hosted in Dubai in early 20272

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Bilateral Trade Reaches $60 Billion as Investment Flows Accelerate

India is Dubai's second-largest trading partner, while the UAE is India's third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade between Dubai and India reaching around $60 billion in 2025 and continuing to grow at a double-digit pace2

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. Indian foreign direct investment into Dubai reached $2.28 billion in 2025, while investments from Dubai into India totalled $9.3 billion across 147 projects between 2016 and 2025, creating 55,274 jobs2

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. Dubai Chamber of Commerce added 7,579 new Indian companies during the first half of 2026, taking the number of active Indian member companies to 85,841 at the end of June, marking 15% year-on-year growth1

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Digital Economy Sectors Drive Next Phase of Economic Growth

While trade, retail, wholesale and logistics remain the main sectors in which Indian companies contribute to Dubai's economy, Lootah said the next phase of economic growth would be driven by digital economy sectors such as AI, fintech, deep tech and software-as-a-service2

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. He also pointed to agritech as an area of opportunity, saying Indian companies could use Dubai as a platform to take solutions related to food security, agricultural productivity and waste reduction to markets in Africa2

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. Over the past three years, Dubai Chambers has reviewed more than 200 policy proposals with private sector representatives and submitted recommendations to the government, with about 60% of these accepted1

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