During the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Abu Dhabi on 15 May 2026, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Modi witnessed the exchange and announcement of a package of agreements and memoranda of understanding focused on energy, defence, investment, artificial intelligence, maritime transport, and trade facilitation.

Agreements signed or exchanged

A strategic cooperation agreement between ADNOC and the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL)
The aim is to increase the UAE’s participation in India’s strategic petroleum reserves to 30 million barrels and to work on establishing strategic gas storage reserves in India. This is the most important agreement in the energy security file because it directly links ADNOC with India’s sovereign oil storage infrastructure.

An agreement between ADNOC and the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) regarding liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplies
The agreement concerns long term supplies of liquefied petroleum gas, which is important for India because LPG is used in household consumption and daily energy needs, not only in industry.

A strategic defence partnership framework agreement between the defence ministries of the UAE and India
It includes defence industrial cooperation, innovation, advanced technology, training, military exercises, maritime security, cyber defence, secure communications, and information exchange. This shifts the relationship from economic and energy cooperation to a clear security partnership, especially amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

An agreement to establish an 8 exaflop supercomputing cluster in India
The parties involved are G42 Group, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, and the Indian Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C DAC). The project aims to build an 8 exaflop supercomputing cluster in India, placing artificial intelligence and advanced computing at the core of the new partnership.

A memorandum of understanding between Cochin Shipyard and Drydocks World to establish a ship repair centre
It concerns the creation of a ship repair cluster in Vadinar, including offshore and maritime manufacturing, under India’s Maritime Development Fund program.

A trilateral memorandum of understanding for skills development in ship repair
Between Cochin Shipyard, Drydocks World Dubai, and the Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS). The goal is to train and employ skilled Indian labour in ship repair and shipbuilding and to make India a hub for specialised workforce in this sector.

Investments announced during the visit

In addition to the agreements, UAE investments in India were announced with a total value of approximately 5 billion US dollars:

An investment by Emirates NBD of around 3 billion US dollars
For acquiring a 60 percent stake in RBL Bank in India. WAM estimated the value at 11.02 billion dirhams.

An investment by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) of 1 billion US dollars
In partnership with India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) in priority infrastructure projects. WAM estimated the value at 3.67 billion dirhams.

An investment by International Holding Company (IHC) of 1 billion US dollars
To acquire a stake in Sammaan Capital in India. WAM estimated the value at 3.67 billion dirhams.

Digital trade initiative launched

The two sides also welcomed the launch of the Virtual Trade Corridor using the MAITRI platform, a digital framework that connects customs and port authorities in both countries to speed up shipping, reduce costs, and shorten transit time.