UAE’s ‘Make in Emirates, make for the world’ pitch finds strong resonance with Indian firms
“Make in Emirates, make for the world.” That has been the message from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2021 — and Indian manufacturers are now embracing it in a big way, reported ken.com.
Indian companies increasingly choose UAE free-trade zones over China
Leading Indian firms are setting up fully operational manufacturing bases in Dubai and other UAE free-trade zones. Among them are Himalaya Wellness (personal care and pharmaceuticals), Omega Seiki Mobility (electric vehicles), Switch Mobility (Ashok Leyland’s electric-bus subsidiary), and Jindal Saw (iron and steel pipes).
Others such as Dabur, Lenskart, and Tata Group already have a significant presence. Tata’s footprint is especially vast — spanning luxury hospitality (Taj Exotica and The Palm Dubai) to Tata Steel Middle East’s downstream facility at Jafza for steel flooring.
“We are positioning the UAE as our primary hub for expansion across the Gulf, with a strong focus on EV and CNG two- and three-wheeler segments, and our upcoming drone programme,” said Uday Narang, Founder and CEO of Omega Seiki Mobility.
Of the 11,000 companies operating in Jafza alone, 2,300 are Indian, underscoring the scale of India’s shift towards the UAE as a strategic hub.
The UAE has long excelled at transforming desert into globally competitive hubs, from tourism to finance, and now, manufacturing. India has attempted similar models with its special economic zones (SEZs) and Gujarat’s GIFT City. But the comparison is stark — India has 276 operational SEZs housing about 6,300 companies, while the UAE, smaller in size than Bihar, boasts 40 free-trade zones with over 200,000 companies.
