India–UAE bilateral trade relations have witnessed a significant upgrade following the CEPA of 2022. How has this impacted India's agricultural exports, particularly for GI-tagged produce? Illustrate with recent examples.

Q. India–UAE bilateral trade relations have witnessed a significant upgrade following the CEPA of 2022. How has this impacted India's agricultural exports, particularly for GI-tagged produce? Illustrate with recent examples. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

The India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed in February 2022 and operational from May 2022, is India's first trade pact with a West Asian nation and targets USD 100 billion in goods trade [1]. For agriculture, its impact lies less in volume alone and more in shifting India from bulk commodity supply to premium, identity-branded exports.

Market access and tariff advantage - CEPA's tariff concessions and simplified access have made the UAE India's top mango export destination — over 12,000 MT worth about USD 20 million in 2024 [2]. - Institutional deepening continues: both sides are pursuing an APEDA–UAE Ministry of Climate Change food-safety MoU to lower technical barriers, alongside APEDA's BHARATI initiative for agri-food exports [3].

Boost to GI-tagged produce - Rewa Sundarja mango (Madhya Pradesh): first commercial consignment of 1 MT exported to the UAE in June 2026 [4]. - Tezpur Litchi (Assam): first GI-tagged consignment airlifted to Dubai in June 2026, opening the North-East to Gulf markets [5]. - These build on APEDA's UAE promotion events such as 'Indian Mango Mania 2025' in Abu Dhabi with the Indian Embassy and LuLu Group [2].

Farmer-level and structural gains - Rewa farmers received ₹150/kg against a local price of ₹100–110/kg, a direct premium of ₹40–50/kg [4]. - FPOs (Seondha and Trisagar Farmer Producer Companies) aggregated and packed the produce, showing how GI plus collectivisation lets smallholders meet export standards [4].

Persisting constraints - The MP consignment was packed in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, exposing gaps in state-level pack house and cold-chain infrastructure [4]. - Consignments remain small and air-freighted, raising cost and carbon concerns; Tezpur growers gained only a modest premium over domestic rates [5].

CEPA has thus converted market access into measurable farmer income and given GI produce a credible global identity. Scaling this demands decentralised pack houses, sea-freight protocols for perishables, and wider mutual recognition of standards — aligning agri-trade diplomacy with doubling farmers' incomes and SDG-2 on sustainable food systems.

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Sources: 1. India–UAE CEPA, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry — CEPA signing (Feb 2022), entry into force (May 2022), USD 100 billion goods-trade target 2. APEDA Organizes 'Indian Mango Mania 2025' in Abu Dhabi to Promote Indian Mango Exports — PIB — UAE as top mango destination; 12,000 MT / USD 20 million in 2024; Abu Dhabi promotion event 3. Union Minister of Commerce & Industry holds bilateral meeting with UAE Minister of Foreign Trade to deepen CEPA — PIB — proposed APEDA–UAE food-safety MoU; BHARATI agri-export initiative 4. APEDA Facilitates First Commercial Export of GI-Tagged Rewa Sundarja Mangoes from Madhya Pradesh to UAE — PIB, June 2026 — 1 MT consignment; ₹150/kg vs ₹100–110/kg; FPO sourcing; Bhadohi pack house 5. APEDA Facilitates First Export of GI-Tagged Tezpur Litchi from Assam to Dubai — PIB, June 2026 — first Tezpur Litchi consignment to Dubai; ~10% price gain over domestic rates