India and UAE Sign Major Oil Storage and Investment Agreements

India and the United Arab Emirates have taken a major step towards strengthening their economic and energy partnership with a series of important agreements signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi.

One of the biggest highlights of the discussions was the UAE’s decision to store up to 30 million barrels of crude oil in India’s strategic petroleum reserve facilities. The agreement is expected to improve India’s energy security, especially at a time when tensions in West Asia continue to raise concerns over global fuel supply routes.

Officials said the partnership between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company will help expand oil storage capacity at major centres including Mangaluru, Visakhapatnam and Chandikhol.

Apart from crude oil, both countries also agreed to work together on strategic gas reserves and long term LPG supply arrangements. Indian Oil Corporation and ADNOC signed a separate agreement aimed at ensuring stable LPG supply for India in the coming years.

The UAE also expressed interest in making major investments in India across several sectors. Sources said nearly 5 billion dollars could be invested in banking, infrastructure and financial services projects. Investment discussions reportedly included participation in institutions such as RBL Bank and other large infrastructure developments.

India and the UAE further strengthened cooperation in defence and advanced technology sectors. The two sides signed a strategic defence partnership framework and discussed joint projects related to ship repair facilities in Gujarat’s Vadinar region.

Several agreements linked to artificial intelligence and advanced computing technologies were also finalised between companies from both countries. These projects are expected to support future development in supercomputing and digital infrastructure.

During the bilateral talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also discussed regional stability in West Asia. Both leaders stressed the importance of protecting global trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, which remains critical for international energy transportation.

Prime Minister Modi also strongly condemned recent attacks targeting the UAE and assured continued support from India towards its strategic partner.