PM Modi & UAE Launch Bharat Mart for Indian MSMEs

Dubai, Feb 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Wednesday virtually laid the foundation stone of Bharat Mart that will offer the Indian MSME sector an effective platform to reach out to international buyers.

Modi and Maktoum took part in the virtual foundation laying event at Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone here for the Bharat Mart that will be built by DP World, a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.

“Prime Minister said that Bharat Mart has the potential to play an important role in promoting exports of the micro, small, and medium (MSME) sectors of India by providing them an effective platform to reach out to international buyers in the Gulf, West Asia, Africa, and Eurasia,” it said.

“The two leaders expressed confidence that Bharat Mart will propel India-UAE bilateral trade further by leveraging Jebel Ali Port's strategic location and strength in logistics,” the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Modi addressed the World Governments Summit and held a few bilateral meetings.

On Tuesday, after signing multiple bilateral agreements with the UAE, and attending the high-voltage ‘Ahlan Modi' event that saw massive participation from the Indian diaspora, PM Modi is set to inaugurate the largest Hindu stone temple in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday evening.

He then heads to Doha to meet the leadership in Qatar as part of his two-day visit to the Gulf region, his seventh to the region since his first in 2015.