Getaway to the UAE: Chennai roadshow charts Indian exporters’ evolution into regional players

India’s export economy is entering a new phase, with businesses increasingly looking beyond selling into overseas markets towards establishing a sustained presence in them. Official data from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry puts India’s total merchandise and services exports at a record $863.1 billion in FY26, with the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) adding momentum to the trade corridor between the two countries.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) sits at the heart of that shift. For Indian exporters, it is no longer simply a destination market: its strategic location, logistics infrastructure and access to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Africa, Europe and the wider Middle East make it a potential base from which businesses can serve regional markets.

That proposition was at the centre of the Chennai edition of Gateway to the UAE Roadshow, organised by Ajman Free Zone in partnership with Economic Times Digital and Times of India Digital on August 24, 2026. The roadshow brought together Indian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), manufacturers and exporters to examine how the UAE can be used not only to reach a market, but also to build a foothold in the wider region.


The Chennai event marked the first stop of a two-city India roadshow, but its focus went beyond conventional export growth. The discussions centred on how businesses could use regional distribution hubs, warehousing and re-export operations to evolve from companies that sell into the UAE into players with a wider regional footprint.

Beyond the India-UAE trade corridor

Badriyah Al Blooshi, Chief Compliance Officer at the Free Zones Authority of Ajman, began by reflecting on the longstanding ties between India and the UAE, noting that more than four million Indians live in the Emirates. But she positioned the relationship as extending beyond the UAE’s role as a consumer market, urging Indian entrepreneurs to view the country as a platform for accessing the Gulf, wider Middle East and Africa.

The CEPA has added momentum to that relationship, with bilateral trade approaching $100 billion and both countries working towards a larger economic corridor. Against that backdrop, Al Blooshi said Ajman Free Zone supports Indian businesses across trading, technology, manufacturing, professional services and e-commerce, with an emphasis on responsible growth and long-term operations.

The Ajman Ecosystem: A story of regional resilience

Zubair Ul Islam, Director of Sales at the Free Zones Authority of Ajman, highlighted Tamil Nadu’s strengths in renewables, IT and semiconductors, and outlined how Ajman can provide a base for Indian businesses seeking to build a regional presence. The presentation covered several aspects of the ecosystem: :

• Digital processing: AI-driven, passport-based systems can reduce straightforward business licence issuance to as little as five minutes, compared with the three-to-five-day timeframe cited for earlier processes.
• Virtual licensing: Flexi-desk arrangements allow businesses to test the market before committing to a physical office, although regulated activities such as holding companies and family offices require a physical presence.
• Industrial infrastructure: Industrial Parks I and II are home to about 600 factories, alongside cold-storage facilities and maritime access through Ajman Port.
• Ownership, tax and finance: The zone permits 100% foreign ownership, while qualifying free-zone companies can access a 0% corporate tax rate, subject to the applicable conditions. The presentation also cited SME financing rates of 3% to 4% and highlighted the UAE dirham’s longstanding peg to the US dollar.

Ajman Free Zone's international outreach also includes representative offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi, with Chennai under consideration, according to the presentation. The network is intended to support Indian businesses as they assess and build a presence across regional markets.

From bilateral trade to regional opportunity

Moderated by Beverly White of ET Digital, the panel brought together Dr Sridevi Arunachalam, Founder, Indo-UAE Economic Chamber of Commerce; Zubair Ul Islam, Director of Sales, Free Zones Authority of Ajman; Divya Abhishek, Secretary, SIRC of ICMAI; and Bhupesh Nagarajan, Co-Chair, FICCI Tamil Nadu State Council. The discussion examined how CEPA and the UAE’s business ecosystem are changing the proposition for Indian enterprises, from accessing the UAE market to using it as a base for wider regional growth.

The speakers pointed to CEPA as a significant shift in the India-UAE business relationship, alongside streamlined incorporation processes that can allow businesses to set up in as little as three to four days, including biometrics and bank account opening. Panellists cited approximately 400,000 incorporations across the UAE in 2025, of which an estimated 100,000 were Indian-led. Ul Islam also highlighted Ajman Free Zone's ecosystem, including the near-zero customs environment associated with CEPA, SME financing and sectors such as electronics, textiles and freelancing. Across the discussion, however, the emphasis was not simply on ease of entry, but on preparing for the demands of operating in a new market. Panellists stressed the importance of market research, cash-flow discipline and understanding the regulatory implications of expanding overseas. These included Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) requirements governing outbound investment, the 182-day tax-residence rule and potential Place of Effective Management (POEM) issues where strategic control remains in India. The broader message was that a regional presence needs to be supported by an operating model that is viable both commercially and from a compliance perspective.

Getting the structure right

The second panel turned from market opportunity to the practicalities of structuring a regional presence. Mukesh Kumar, Co-founder, M2K Advisors; Palaniappan Alagappan, Partner, KPMG; Vandana Rangarajan, Senior Executive Director and Co-head, 360ONE Wealth; and Anshul Khemuka, Partner, Khaitan & Co, discussed the tax, banking and corporate considerations that arise when Indian businesses establish operations in the UAE. Their central message was that expansion decisions cannot be based on headline tax rates or the ease of incorporation alone.

The speakers stressed that the zero per cent corporate tax rate available to qualifying free-zone companies is conditional, requiring businesses to meet the relevant requirements around qualifying activities and economic substance. They also discussed the implications of Pillar Two’s 15% global minimum tax for large multinational groups.

The choice between a branch, subsidiary and holding company, the speakers said, should follow the business model, long-term growth plans and how capital will move across borders. A subsidiary can ring-fence local operations, while a branch may be more appropriate for businesses testing a market and seeking to offset certain losses against the Indian parent; holding structures can become relevant where the UAE entity is intended to support expansion across multiple countries.

Banking was another practical consideration. Panellists noted that corporate account opening can involve extensive AML and KYC checks, scrutiny of beneficial ownership and requests for a credible business plan, making banking readiness an important part of the setup process rather than an afterthought.

From exporter to regional player

Stronger India-UAE trade under CEPA is creating a wider proposition for Indian exporters: the UAE can function not only as an end market, but as a base from which businesses can reach the Middle East, Africa and other markets. The discussions in Chennai framed this as a shift in business model, from selling into the UAE to building a regional presence around it.

The discussions also made clear that ease of incorporation is only one part of the equation. While straightforward digital licence applications can now be processed in minutes, businesses still need to choose an appropriate structure, meet bank KYC requirements, comply with Indian RBI/FEMA rules and establish the relevant activities and economic substance in the UAE to access applicable tax treatment.

In her closing remarks, Amisha Agarwal, Events & PR Manager, Free Zones Authority of Ajman, encouraged attendees to make use of the available support and digital tools as they consider establishing a presence in the UAE. Her remarks brought the discussion back to the central question of the Chennai roadshow: how Indian businesses can move beyond exporting into a market to building a sustainable regional presence.