UAE Hosts Founders’ Retreat to Bolster UAE-India Start-Up Ties
Over 60 Indian startup leaders join UAE business pioneers to foster innovation, investment, and cross-border growth
UAE and India Forge Stronger Start-Up Ties at Founders’ Retreat 2024
Dubai and Abu Dhabi/ New Delhi, 8 December, 2024: The UAE successfully hosted the Startup Founders Retreat 2024 from 6 to 8 December. The retreat brought together over 60 key startup founders from India and key UAE business leaders, investors and policymakers to discuss new directions and opportunities in bilateral investment cooperation.
Jointly organised by the UAE Embassy in Delhi, Offline and the UAE-India CEPA Council, the event marked a significant milestone in the UAE-India partnership, showcasing the two countries’ shared commitment to fostering innovation and economic growth.
With founders representing 13 Indian unicorn startups and five public listed companies, with retreats worth an average of USD 3.5 billion, this first-of-its-kind platform facilitated transformative collaboration and highlighted the mutual benefits of closer investment ties between the two countries. .
The retreat highlighted how the UAE complements India’s startup success story. Since 2000, UAE investors have infused capital worth around USD 20 billion into the Indian economy, significantly benefiting the Indian startup sector, according to estimates. Initiatives such as the UAE-India Start-up Bridge, established under the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), have further strengthened this collaboration.
Speaking at the event, H.E. Abdulnasser Alshali, PhD, UAE Ambassador to India, said, “The Founders Retreat is not only a celebration of entrepreneurial excellence, but also a commitment to deeper collaboration. It reflects our shared vision to foster innovation, investment and growth across borders. Bringing UAE and Indian leaders together under one roof not only enables business opportunities but also creates a roadmap for global entrepreneurial success.
“The Founders Retreat is a catalyst for UAE-India startup collaboration. By combining India’s entrepreneurial talent with the visionary support of the UAE, we are creating a platform for global startup success. “The retreat is a strong statement on how investment will be conducted after the vibrations of public-private partnerships,” said Somani, founder of Offline.
Opportunities are provided to conduct investments in the Indian economy and expand internationally. Investment policies in India are being improved. This event will strengthen strong India-India ties, become a global business institution and a model of modernity.
