IIM-A, IIFT to open campuses in Dubai

The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) will open their respective campuses in Dubai, the ministry of external affairs said in a statement.

The announcement was part of a series of decisions taken during Dubai crown prince Sheikh Hamdan’s two-day visit to India.

The new overseas campus of IIM-A, which will begin offering its first MBA program at the new premises in September, follows the inauguration of the first ever campus of the IIT in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi last year.

The first overseas campus of IIFT will be set up at the India Pavilion in Expo City Dubai, the statement said.

The other announcements include construction of a Bharat Mart and the launch of a 3-D rendering of the Bharat Mart complex, apart from the grant a plot of land for a 100-bed UAE-India Friendship Hospital in Dubai focused on providing affordable healthcare to the blue-collar Indian diaspora in the UAE.

Development of ship-repair clusters at Kochi and Vadinar, and the opening of an India office of Dubai Chamber of Commerce were also part of the announcements.

Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) and Drydocks World (DDW), a DP World firm, signed a deal to enable development of ship repair clusters in Kochi and Vadinar, the statement said.

India will also set up an Indian office of Dubai Chamber of Commerce, with Indian companies being one of the top investors in Dubai’s tourism, hospitality, healthcare, retail, education and entertainment sectors and accounting for 30-40% of companies registered in Dubai, including the Free Zones.

Sheikh Hamdan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defense minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, apart from trade minister Piyush Goyal, during his visit.