India signs a free trade pact for duty-free exports to the Emirates

04 May 2022 CW Team

India and UAE had signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in February, which came into effect on Sunday, that allows most of India’s exports to the Emirates duty-free access.

The CEPA will be increasing the total value of bilateral trade in goods to more than $100 billion and trade in services to over $15 billion in the five years.

The commerce secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam, reportedly handed over the Certificates of Origin to three exporters from the gems and jewellery sector. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade have additionally issued the relevant notifications for the operationalisation of the agreement from the beginning of this month. India stands to benefit from the preferential market access in the UAE on over 97 per cent of its tariff lines or goods, which account for 99 per cent of the country’s exports to the UAE in value terms. These are goods from the labour-intensive sectors, namely textiles, leather, footwear, sports goods, plastic, furniture and engineering products.

Goods and services exports account for about 22-23 per cent of India's GDP. The country’s vision is to take it up to 25-30 per cent.

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..