Mumbai: Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, All India Association of Industries (AIAI) and World Trade Centre (WTC-Mumbai), said “Dubai has become the favourite destination for doing business because of simpler laws for registration and transacting business, while presently trade between India and UAE is over $90 billion and is likely to increase to $100 billion by 2026.”
Kalantri was speaking to the Financial World correspondent after addressing a “MahaBiz -2026 Dubai” press meet organized here by “Gulf Maharashtra Business Forum” (GMBF) GLOBAL.
“Today manufacturers have the advantage of going to the UAE to start business on a “Plug-n-Play” basis, which has made the task easier for Indian businesspersons,” Kalantri said, adding “Secondly, in view of tariffs imposed by the USA, Dubai is becoming a ‘favoured’ hub for doing business with USA and European countries as the tariff implications are only 10%,” he added.
Dr Sunil Manjarekar, President, GMBF Global, told media here recently that GMBF Global is a premier business networking platform connecting Maharashtra with global markets and is presently launching roadshows across India for the 9th edition of its flagship international event “MahaBiz 2026.”
“MahaBiz -2026 Dubai – being held from January 31 to February 1, 2026 in Dubai – offers pre-event networking and targeted match-making alongside setting the stage for “Contacts to Contracts,” Manjarekar said, while noting that “This event is expected to draw 800-plus entrepreneurs from over 15 countries in creating a powerful +cross-border opportunity pool.
Meanwhile, the roadshows would highlight to prospective delegates the method of leveraging Dubai and UAE as a hub for exports, imports, joint ventures, technology partnerships, Manjarekar said, adding that, besides Maharashtra, he had also spoken to the Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, inviting businesspersons from there to join the Dubai-bound delegation.
Rajiv Chiplunkar, Director, Ira Estate, Goa and prospective delegate to the “MahaBiz-2026 Dubai,” said this event would provide Dubai and international investors great collaborative opportunities in Maharashtra and Goa’s “booming” real estate markets, that are attracting the world’s biggest names in various businesses.
