Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday, 15 May oversaw the signing of a series of landmark agreements in Abu Dhabi, covering energy security, strategic investment, maritime cooperation, and digital trade — marking a significant deepening of the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Energy Partnership: Strategic Petroleum and LPG Deals

At the centre of the energy agenda was a Strategic Collaboration Agreement between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The pact raises the UAE's participation in India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves to 30 million barrels and commits both sides to jointly establish strategic gas reserves in India, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Separately, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and ADNOC formalised an arrangement covering long-term Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supplies to India — a move that bolsters India's energy supply chain at a time of sustained global commodity volatility.

$5 Billion UAE Investment Commitment to India

The two leaders welcomed a combined USD 5 billion in fresh investment pledges from UAE entities into India. The breakdown, as confirmed by the PMO, is as follows:

USD 3 billion from the Emirates New Development Bank into RBL Bank of India; USD 1 billion from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) into the National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF) for priority infrastructure projects; and USD 1 billion from the International Holding Company into Sammaan Capital of India. The PMO statement described these investments as underscoring the UAE's 'sustained, long-term commitment to India's growth story.'

Maritime and Shipbuilding Cooperation

On the maritime front, Cochin Shipyard Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Drydocks World, Dubai to establish a Ship Repair Cluster at Vadinar in Gujarat, covering offshore fabrication under India's Maritime Development Fund Scheme. A separate tripartite MoU — between Cochin Shipyard Limited, Drydocks World Dubai, and the Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding — sets up a framework to train and deploy a skilled maritime workforce, positioning India as a regional hub for shipbuilding and ship repair professionals.

Tech and Digital Trade: 8 Exaflop Supercomputer and MAITRI Corridor

Both sides concluded a term sheet to establish an 8 Exaflop Super Compute Cluster, a partnership between India's Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and the UAE's G-42. The cluster represents one of the most ambitious India-UAE technology collaborations to date.

The two leaders also welcomed the operationalisation of the Virtual Trade Corridor using MAITRI (Master Application for International Trade and Regulatory Interface). The digital framework connects customs and port authorities on both sides, aiming to streamline cargo movement, reduce transit costs, and enable more efficient bilateral trade flows. Notably, the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), acknowledged by both leaders, has already driven bilateral trade to record levels since its signing.

Broader Strategic Review

Modi and Sheikh Mohammed also reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, welcoming progress across energy, trade, investment, defence, security, fintech, infrastructure, education, culture, and people-to-people ties. This visit reinforces a pattern of high-frequency engagement between the two nations — Modi's visit to Abu Dhabi is among several bilateral interactions in recent years that have progressively elevated the relationship from a trade partnership to a multi-domain strategic alliance. The next phase of implementation across these agreements will be closely watched by both governments and industry stakeholders.