India-UAE ties: New corridor to deliver fresh food from Mumbai on your Dubai plate in hours

Mumbai: Plans are underway to ensure that Maharashtra’s fresh produce reaches your plate in Dubai within hours.

Speaking at the Dubai-India Business Forum in Mumbai, Jaykumar Rawal, the Minister of Marketing and Protocol for the Government of Maharashtra, revealed a proposal to establish a Maharashtra-Dubai Agri-Corridor, featuring fast-track export clearances, joint packaging, and certification units to meet UAE standards.

The forum was held during the official visit of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, to India on Tuesday.

“Maharashtra is India’s leading producer of grapes, contributing more than 81 per cent of India’s exports, pomegranates (70 per cent), and Alphonso mangoes, which are very popular in Dubai,” he said, noting that other products, including onions, bananas, millets, and pulses, are also produced in the state. “We have so much more to offer.”

Export clusters

Rawal highlighted that the Maharashtra government is creating export clusters, mega food parks, and cold chain logistics to enhance the export of agricultural products.

“Here’s the vision: Let’s make Maharashtra’s fresh produce a regular feature on Dubai’s supermarket shelves, restaurants, and hotel menus.”

Elaborating on the Agri-Corridor, he said that the initiative aims to ensure fresh produce from Maharashtra is delivered quickly and efficiently to Dubai markets, bringing the state’s agricultural products to Dubai’s supermarkets, hotels, and restaurants.

“So, in the evening, we start plucking fruits from our farms; by midnight, we begin sending them to Dubai, UAE, and by morning, they are on the table. This would mean fresh produce from the farms of Maharashtra to the markets of Dubai,” he said, pointing to investments in cold chain logistics near key ports.

Five sectors

“This would be a win-win for our farmers and our consumers,” he said, noting five other sectors for collaboration including, green hydrogen and renewable energy, logistics and ports, film and media, tourism and medicine, education and startups

“Dubai and Mumbai have so much in common. We don’t just share trade, we share trust. But we need to accelerate this growth. Let us grow together, innovate together, and build a future where our businesses, our people, and our cultures thrive side by side,” Rawal added.