India-UAE CEPA offers shared innovation, opportunity for startups: Envoy

Mumbai, Nov 21 The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has transformed the UAE-India partnership into a platform for shared innovation and opportunity, said Abdulnasser Alshaali, Ambassador of the UAE to the India, adding that the new agreement between First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and the CEPA Council represents a major step forward in enabling startups to scale between our nations.

The pact “demonstrates the UAE’s continued commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and deepening capital and technology flows across the CEPA corridor,” he said during an event here.

“Much of the investment comes from Abu Dhabi, but today Abu Dhabi is not just a source of capital; it is increasingly a destination for growth. With strong incentives and active collaboration with companies from Abu Dhabi, we are seeing excellent interest in investing and expanding further,” said Alshaali.

FAB entered into a strategic partnership with the UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) to accelerate cross-border entrepreneurship and empower high-potential Indian start-ups to scale globally through the UAE.

As part of the partnership, FAB will support the UAE–India Start-Up Series, the UICC’s signature initiative designed to discover and empower India’s most promising early-stage ventures.

Since its launch in June 2025, the Series has received over 10,000 applications, making it the largest start-up initiative of its kind in India.

Under the agreement, FAB will provide one of the five winning start-ups from the Series with a dedicated soft-landing package in the UAE.

This support will include tailored banking solutions, mentorship from FAB sector experts, and facilitated introductions to corporate partners, investors, and regulators.

“The UAE and India share a deep ambition to build globally competitive, innovation-led economies. Through this strategic partnership with the UAE–India CEPA Council, FAB will provide the financial solutions, strategic advisory, and global connectivity that founders require to scale from the UAE to key international markets,” said Nimesh Karwanyun, Country CEO-India, First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Ahmed Aljneibi, Director, UAE–India CEPA Council, added that FAB’s partnership brings tremendous strength to the Start-Up Series and to the wider CEPA innovation corridor.

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