UAE Commits $5 Billion to India in Major Banking, Infrastructure, and AI Deals

The United Arab Emirates unveiled a new $5 billion investment package in India on Friday, deepening economic ties between the two countries through a series of agreements spanning banking, infrastructure, energy, defense, and artificial intelligence.

The investment commitments, worth approximately 18.36 billion dirhams, were announced during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi, where he held talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

At the center of the package is the acquisition by Emirates NBD of a 60% stake in India’s RBL Bank for 11.02 billion dirhams, marking one of the largest Gulf investments in India’s banking sector in recent years.

The deal follows months of regulatory approvals secured by Emirates NBD as part of its broader expansion strategy in India’s rapidly growing financial market.

Separately, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority will invest 3.67 billion dirhams in India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, signaling continued appetite among Gulf sovereign investors for Indian infrastructure assets.

Another 3.67 billion dirham investment will come from International Holding Company through the acquisition of a stake in Samman Capital, strengthening Emirati presence in India’s non-banking financial services sector.

Beyond the investment deals, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi signed a series of strategic agreements covering defense cooperation, energy security, liquefied petroleum gas supplies, and strategic petroleum reserves.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company signed cooperation agreements with Indian energy entities to support India’s strategic petroleum reserve program and expand long-term energy supply partnerships.

Indian government statements said ADNOC is studying plans to expand its crude oil storage capacity in India to as much as 30 million barrels, significantly above current levels. The company is also exploring additional storage opportunities at facilities in Mangalore, Visakhapatnam, and Chandikhol.

India and the UAE also agreed to collaborate on strategic gas reserves, a move aimed at strengthening the energy security of the world’s third-largest oil consumer amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.

The two countries additionally signed a memorandum to establish an 8-exaflop supercomputing complex in India, involving G42, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, and India’s Centre for Development of Advanced Computing.

Analysts say the agreements underscore the accelerating transformation of UAE-India relations from traditional trade and energy cooperation into a broader strategic partnership focused on technology, financial integration, and critical infrastructure.