On the sidelines of Gulfood 2026, the world’s largest food and beverage exhibition, the UAE Food Cluster, in collaboration with DMCC, reinforced the growing UAE–India strategic partnership in the food sector.
As part of India’s Country Partner participation at Gulfood 2026, the UAE Food Cluster convened a high-level stakeholder session bringing together senior officials from the Indian Ministry of Food Processing Industries, representatives from the Consulate General of India, UAE government entities, and leading private-sector stakeholders from both countries.
The Indian delegation led by Shri Avinash Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries of India (MoFPI), including Shri Preet Pal Singh, Joint Secretary, MoFPI; Shri Anil Kumar Singh, Deputy Secretary, MoFPI; Ms. Deepti Thakur, Senior Manager, Manager, Invest India; Mr Manav Lal, Assistant Manager, Invest India.
Also present were Mr Satish K. Sivan, Consul General, Consulate General of India, Dubai and Consulate’s trade attaché members – Mr Satish K. Sivan, Consul General, Consulate General of India, Dubai; Mr B.G. Krishnan, Consul (Economic, Trade, Commerce & Education), and Mr. Rohit Mishra, Counsellor (Trade & Investment).
During the dialogue, it was agreed that the UAE Food Cluster will work closely with APEDA, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, agri-technology institutions, and individual Indian state food parks to deepen cooperation across food processing, agri-technology, logistics, and value-added trade. Ongoing ministerial-level efforts to harmonise food standards and regulatory frameworks were also acknowledged, aimed at enabling seamless import, export, and re-export of food products between India, the UAE, and international markets.
The engagement reflects the deep-rooted economic and people-to-people ties between the two countries, with bilateral trade crossing US$ 100 billion in 2025 and Indian community forming the largest nationality living in the UAE.
Saleh Lootah, Chairman of UAE Food Cluster, said: “The cluster strategy has brought ecosystem players together, enabling the UAE to position itself as a smart global food hub capable of addressing today’s challenges. India being one of the largest trade partners, the UAE Food Cluster’s aims to further relations with its food sector on a strategic level to work together and position both countries as global hub for food trade, leveraging our capabilities in ports, re-export infrastructure, and processing and packaging infrastructure wit Indias leadership in agriculture production and innovation.”
As part of the engagement, the UAE Food Cluster and DMCC signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding, formalising a strong working relationship to support global food and commodity trade. DMCC continues to play a critical role through specialised platforms such as commodity exchanges for rice, honey, and other food products, attracting international companies to establish trading and value-addition operations in the UAE.
The role of Gulfood was also acknowledged as a long-standing catalyst in the development of the UAE’s food ecosystem, having contributed over several decades to attracting global businesses, enabling trade, and encouraging long-term investment in the sector.
