India mulls giant distribution hub in the UAE

India is planning to set up a new warehousing facility in the UAE similar to China’s Dragon Mart to allow its exporters to showcase their products under one roof, according to an Indian media report.

Bharat Mart is expected to become a mega-distribution hub to support the exports of “Made in India” products to the world, Economic Times, an Indian financial daily, reported, citing Abdulla Al Hashmi, chief operating officer, parks and zones, DP World GCC.

Al Hashmi said that the facility will benefit Indian companies planning to expand their operations in Africa, Europe and the US.

“This will help reduce the time and cost of shipping goods between India and these countries,” Al Hashmi said.

The proposed Bharat Mart will include retail showrooms, warehouses, offices and ancillary facilities and will accommodate various categories of goods, from perishable items to heavy machinery.

Bharat Mart, which will span more than 100,000 sq m, is likely to become operations by 2025 in Jebal Ali free zone, the newspaper said, citing unnamed officials.

“The genesis of this project is that China has similar facilities there which are helping their exporters.”

In February last year India became the first country with which the UAE signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa).

India’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said in June that the two nations expect to more than double non-oil bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030.