India, UAE Elevate Strategic Partnership with Focus on Nuclear Energy, AI and Defence

India and the United Arab Emirates agreed to significantly scale up their comprehensive strategic partnership following a two-hour meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in New Delhi. The talks covered a wide spectrum of cooperation, including nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, defence, energy security and counter-terrorism. Several agreements and letters of intent were exchanged, reflecting the growing depth and breadth of bilateral relations.

Energy cooperation featured strongly, highlighted by a 10-year LNG supply agreement under which India will receive 0.5 million tonnes of gas annually from 2028. Civil nuclear cooperation emerged as a new pillar, with both sides agreeing to explore collaboration in advanced nuclear technologies such as large reactors and Small Modular Reactors. The leaders also identified AI, data infrastructure and digital technologies as priority areas, discussing supercomputing clusters, data centres and the concept of digital embassies, while the UAE supported India’s proposal to host the AI Impact Summit in February 2026.

Defence and security ties gained momentum with a Letter of Intent on a Strategic Defence Partnership, alongside reaffirmed cooperation on counter-terrorism and terror financing. Economically, both sides noted that bilateral trade has reached $100 billion since the 2022 CEPA and set a target of $200 billion by 2032. The meeting also advanced cooperation in space, food security and people-to-people ties, including plans for a ‘House of India’ in Abu Dhabi, while reaffirming shared positions on regional stability and global issues.

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