This fourth edition of the UAE–India CEPA Council Newsletter captures a landmark quarter in the bilateral innovation partnership, marked by the successful culmination of the UAE–India Start-Up Series—the largest initiative of its kind ever conducted in India. Drawing over 10,000 applications from across the country, the Series highlighted the depth, diversity, and geographic spread of India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, while reaffirming the UAE’s role as a global launchpad for high-potential start-ups seeking international scale. The issue documents the final pitch event held in New Delhi, where twenty shortlisted start-ups engaged directly with UAE institutions and investors, culminating in the selection of five ventures that will now commence their UAE growth journey.
Beyond the pitches, the newsletter offers a data-driven window into India’s evolving innovation landscape, highlighting key structural shifts including the democratisation of entrepreneurship beyond Tier-1 cities, the rise of problem-led innovation in sectors such as cleantech, fintech, healthtech, agritech, and the growing integration of artificial intelligence as a core business enabler. In the Business in Focus section, the issue profiles the five winning start-ups—Bioreform, DocketRun, Data Sutram, Endimension, and SBNRI—each aligned with the UAE’s strategic priorities spanning sustainability, industrial safety, digital finance, healthcare, and diaspora engagement. Complemented by updates on major UAE–India developments across trade, education, defence, and people-to-people ties, this edition reinforces CEPA’s role as a catalyst for investment, innovation, and long-term economic collaboration between the UAE and India.
