– Shobhit Mathur, Vice Chancellor, Rishihood University

India and the UAE have long been linked by trade, energy and migration. But the next phase of this partnership will be assessed on whether it can help India build the universities and research ecosystems needed for the age of artificial intelligence.

Over the past decade, India has made real progress in innovation, rising to 38th in the Global Innovation Index 2025 from 81st in 2015. Yes, we produce large numbers of STEM graduates, yet too many universities remain isolated from core industries, weak in interdisciplinary work and underpowered in research commercialisation.

This is where the India–UAE partnership can become strategically important. Despite the setback of the short-term West Asia crisis, the UAE is preparing itself as a hub for AI, digital services, smart infrastructure and advanced technologies. It is this preparation that makes the UAE a relevant collaborator for India’s higher education system, especially at a moment when Indian universities must become engines of research, product development and entrepreneurial thinking.

In the words of Sunjay Sudhir, India’s Ambassador to the UAE, “Education has emerged as one of the most promising frontiers in the India–UAE strategic partnership. We are witnessing a new era of academic diplomacy grounded in mutual respect, innovation, and a shared vision for the future.”

The most valuable opportunity lies in deep research collaboration. Prestigious institutions are already leading the way. IIT Delhi has established a functional campus in Abu Dhabi, and IIM Ahmedabad is setting up an overseas campus in Dubai. Ambassador Sudhir observed that “the pace at which leading Indian institutions are establishing campuses in the UAE is a testament to the trust and academic synergy between our nations.”

The case for collaboration is especially strong in AI and digital innovation. India already has a vast technology workforce, strong digital public infrastructure and a growing start-up ecosystem. What it needs is deeper university-led research that can convert these strengths into globally competitive applications. Universities should help develop AI tools for education, agriculture, logistics, public services and manufacturing. They should also train students to work across disciplines, combining computer science with law, ethics, design, public policy and domain expertise.

Multidisciplinary innovation is the way forward. The National Education Policy already points in this direction, calling for multidisciplinary, research-oriented institutions. This aligns India’s engineering talent with the UAE’s capital and technology ambitions, supporting both India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the UAE’s National Strategy for Higher Education 2030. The India–UAE partnership can help give that ambition practical form. Joint innovation challenges, visiting professorships, industry-backed research fellowships and incubators linked to both countries could create a new model of collaboration: innovation corridors powered by higher education.

India does not need more hollow partnerships. It needs partnerships that change how knowledge is produced, shared and applied. If the India–UAE relationship can help Indian universities become more research-intensive, more globally connected and more innovation-driven, it will do more than strengthen bilateral ties. It will help shape India’s digital future.

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