UAE-India CEPA Council Signs MoU with BHU’s Atal Incubation Centre to Boost Bilateral Startup Ecosystem
MOUs and Agreement
In July 2025, the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) Council, also known as UICC, signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Atal Incubation Centre – Mahamana Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Institute of Management, Banaras Hindu University (AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU), located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
- The MoU aims to strengthen startup and innovation collaboration between the United Arab Emirates and India, especially in emerging innovation hubs in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
- The MoU was officially signed between Ahmed Aljneibi, Director of the UICC, and Professor P.V. Rajeev, the Professor-in-Charge of AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU. This partnership reflects both countries’ commitment to building sustainable innovation ecosystems and fostering cross-border entrepreneurship by connecting incubators, mentors, and capital.
- Through this agreement, over 110 startups currently incubated at AIC-BHU will gain institutional exposure and cross-national collaboration opportunities in key growth sectors. These include healthcare, agricultural technology (agri-tech), clean energy, logistics, and other areas aligned with sustainable development goals and startup-friendly industries.
Main Point :- (i) A major highlight of this partnership is its integration into the UAE-India Start-Up Series, a strategic initiative to bridge Indian startups with UAE’s fast-growing innovation landscape. Startups selected under this initiative will benefit from fast-track business licensing in the UAE, access to local mentorship, investor networks, and incubation support through UICC’s ecosystem.
(ii) The MoU also establishes a framework for knowledge exchange, innovation-driven institutional linkages, and cross-border funding opportunities. Both institutions will work to organize joint startup expos, hackathons, investor connects, and capacity-building programs for student entrepreneurs and early-stage founders.
(iii) This initiative aligns with the broader CEPA agreement signed between India and the UAE in 2022, which has accelerated economic partnerships across trade, services, and investment. The UICC–AIC-BHU collaboration now represents a startup-focused milestone under CEPA, targeting inclusive growth beyond metropolitan regions.
About UAE
Currency: United Arab Emirates Dirham
President: Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
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