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Tenure will “deepen India-UAE trust” says new Indian ambassador to UAE
The fifth edition of IGF’s Middle East forum brought together 90 leaders across government, global corporations, venture capital, academia and advanced technology.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 27, Nov 2025
- 14:21 EST
- 15
Deepak Mittal, Ambassador of India to the UAE with Manoj Ladwa, Chairman, India Global Forum / India Global Forum
India’s new ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Deepak Mittal, said his tenure will focus on “deepening the trust” between the two countries.
Delivering his first major public address at the concluding session of the India Global Forum’s Middle East 2025 edition in Dubai on Nov. 26, Mittal said his immediate priority is to “deepen the trust which exists, the chemistry which exists on both sides,” adding that India and the UAE must act with urgency to convert opportunities into concrete outcomes.
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The ambassador said the next phase of the partnership must extend beyond bilateral ties to joint expansion in high-growth regions. “It’s not only India and the UAE, but also what we can do together in a third region, and Africa certainly is one such region of huge potential, because they are also all yearning for growth, for supply chains,” he said.
He also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guidance before he took charge, saying the relationship was described to him as one “of highest importance,” with the task now being how to “make it better.”
The fifth edition of the forum brought together 90 leaders across government, global corporations, venture capital, academia and advanced technology. Over two days, participants examined how India’s digital and economic transformation can align with Gulf capital and regional innovation ecosystems across themes such as capital, deep technology, supply chain resilience and inclusion.
A key announcement at the event was a $250 million expansion fund backed by the Ved Family Office and Ananta Capital. IGF said the fund will support high-growth Indian consumer and industrial brands in scaling across the Middle East, Africa and Europe through capital, logistics support and its Accelerator Program.
The forum opened with a conversation between UAE Minister of State for AI Omar Sultan Al Olama and investor Nikhil Kamath at IGF’s “Disruptors in the Desert” event.
The opening day also featured a founders’ roundtable at IIM Ahmedabad’s Dubai campus and a visit to DP World’s JAFZA facility, where Indian brands explored Dubai’s trade and logistics infrastructure for global expansion.
The second day, hosted at the Dubai Future Foundation, brought together policymakers and innovators shaping the UAE’s future-economy agenda.
“Governments around the world believe that Dubai is the city of the future,” said Abdulaziz AlJazir, deputy CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, citing the city’s early adoption of blockchain, autonomous transportation, renewable energy and 3D-printing strategies.
IGF chairman Manoj Ladwa said the partnership with the UAE and the Dubai Future Foundation is central to “the technological bridges we are building,” aimed at connecting India’s innovation ecosystem with global talent and ideas.
Across plenaries, roundtables and fireside conversations, speakers discussed challenges and opportunities amid geopolitical shifts and rapid digitalization. Archana Jahagirdar of Rukam Capital said, “We are living in a moment of deglobalization.”
Tonya McSherry of Oxford Nanopore Technologies said “healthcare or Healthspan should not be a luxury,” calling for technology that decentralizes access. On AI governance, Saeed Al Falasi of the Dubai Centre of AI said sovereignty requires control over data, decision-making and system optionality.
This year’s forum comes at a time of accelerated India-UAE economic integration. Both countries are advancing CEPA-linked discussions on market access, data exchange and trade facilitation, alongside expanding cooperation in technology, energy, fintech, space and digital public infrastructure.
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