Modi in UAE: What is Bharat Mart, the mega facility inaugurated by PM in Dubai?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Day 2 in the United Arab Emirates is packed with events and engagements. Besides the big-ticket inauguration of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Mandir, the first ever Hindu temple in the UAE, he also virtually launched Bharat Mart, a warehousing facility for Indian MSMEs to trade in Dubai. But what exactly is the Bharat Mart? How will it benefit India? Here’s all we need to know about this grand project, which is expected to be operational by 2025. Bharat Mart, explained Bharat Mart has been envisaged as India’s warehousing facility, which would help Indian exports showcase their products under one roof. According to officials, Bharat Mart will have retail showrooms, warehouses, offices, and other ancillary facilities which will accommodate various categories of goods, ranging from heavy machinery to perishable items. Essentially, it will serve as a one-stop shop to all Indian products in various categories. The project was first announced in August 2022 as part of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CEPA), which included furthering non-petroleum trade to $100 billion by 2030 between the two countries. Then a year later, the then consul-general of India in Dubai, Dr Aman Puri, was quoted as telling Khaleej Times, “We are looking forward to the project where there would be a ‘Bharat Mart’ where Indian exporters would be able to showcase their products here.” In 2023, the Economic Times reported that the facility would span across 1,00,000 square metres in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), which is managed by DP World. The report further added that the space would be a mix of warehouse, retail and hospitality units. Abdulla Al Hashmi, the Chief Operating Officer of Parks and Zones at DP World GCC, was quoted as saying, “Bharat Mart is poised to become a mega-distribution hub to support the exports of made in India products to the world.” In fact, several firms have already displayed interest in being a part of Bharat Mart, with Abdulla Bin Damithan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director (MD), DP World UAE & Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), telling Moneycontrol that several are already on board, including Tata motor’s Jaguar Land Rover. There are also plans in the making to develop a digital platform, which would enable global buyers to purchase goods from the facility in an easy and convenient manner.

#WATCH | PM Modi inaugurates 'Bharat Mart', a warehousing facility, in Dubai

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai also present at the inauguration event pic.twitter.com/TjBKDW4ezn

— ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2024

Benefits of Bharat Mart A facility such as Bharat Mart is significant for India and the trade between India and the UAE. According to officials, it will help Indian firms expand their operations into regions of Africa and Europe as well as the United States. Furthermore, the facility will cut the time and cost it takes to ship goods between India and the rest of the world. Ajay Sahai, the Director General of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, told the Times of India that Bharat Mart would help Indian exporters showcase their products to a much larger and more international market. Moreover, Bharat Mart will help India-UAE trade ties to flourish. News18 has reported that trade with UAE has reached $85 billion in 2022-23 during which it was also the fourth largest source of FDI with $3.5 billion investment in India. The Emirati nation is also India’s second largest export destination and the third largest trading partner. [caption id=“attachment_13727272” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]
A vendor at a shop selling Chinese goods at Dragon Mart. The facility is 1.2 kilometre-long and covers 1,50,000 square metres. It is the biggest Chinese economic outlet outside of China. File image/AFP[/caption] Similar to China’s Dragon Mart Interestingly, India’s Bharat Mart to be built in JAFZA is very similar to China’s Dragon Mart in International City. It is the largest Chinese trading hub outside of mainland China, and houses some 4,000 mostly Chinese-owned shops selling a vast variety of manufactured goods, from garments to machinery to jewellery to garden furniture and even something as banal as poles. The first mall of Dragon Mart was constructed and in 2004. A second building was added in 2015. Today, Dragon Mart also consists of cinemas as well as eateries from across the globe. As the Foreign Policy noted in a report dated back to 2016, “Dragon Mart is not home to the Starbucks set. Instead, it is where Arab expatriate clerks or the legions of Indians that help the city function buy school supplies for their kids, or middle class tourists from Iran and Russia hunt for bargains. It is a place to buy goods from the thousands of Chinese manufacturers that make sneakers with brands like Bugaboo or pen sets under the brand name “Character: Absolute Distinction.” It is far removed from the glitzy malls of Dubai that are known for their indoor ski slopes and massive aquariums. With inputs from agencies