UAEāIndia CEPA Council Launches āStart-up Seriesā to Power Cross-Border Innovation.
International
On 24 June 2025, the UAEāIndia CEPA Council (UICC), in partnership with the UAE Embassy in India, launched the first-ever āUAEāIndia CEPA Startāup Seriesā in New Delhi. Backed by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), this initiative aims to help 5 selected Indian startāups scale globally through UAE ecosystem support.
- The Start-up Series is a key CEPA deliverable, designed to foster innovation-led trade and help Indian startāups internationalise by providing access to UAE investors, licensing, and ecosystem supportāsolidifying innovation cooperation under the bilateral trade pact.
- Held at the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel, the event was led by UAE Ambassador Dr Abdulnasser Alshaali, who emphasized that āstart-ups are central to the UAEāIndia economic corridor,ā reinforcing the UAEās strategic focus on entrepreneurship.
- The programme culminates in a high-profile pitch event in New Delhi where five Indian startāups will receive UAE softālanding packagesāincluding incubation, mentorship, licensing, and access to UAE free-zone investors.
Main Point :- (i) MoUs were signed with institutions like PRIME Meghalaya, IDEATE Lab at O.P. Jindal Global University, and Jamia Hamdard, to support regional innovation exchanges, research partnerships, and entrepreneurship across states.
(ii) India-UAE trade has surgedāFYāÆ2023ā24 trade hit USDāÆ83.6āÆbillion, non-oil exports rose 20%, and UAE FDI in India tripled to USDāÆ3.35āÆbillion, making it Indiaās 4th largest foreign investor.
(iii) Applications are open till 31 July 2025 via the CEPA Start-up Series microsite. Over 100 investors, corporates, and ecosystem players attended the launch, signaling strong cross-border engagement.
About UAE
Capital: Abu Dhabi
President: Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
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