Madhya Pradesh is looking to deepen its food-processing and agricultural trade links with the United Arab Emirates, with discussions covering investment in food processing, cold-chain infrastructure, agricultural logistics, warehousing and export platforms.
The opportunities were discussed during Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav’s visit to Dubai, where he held a series of meetings with UAE government representatives and leading business groups as part of the state’s international investment outreach.
During a meeting with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi on the sidelines of AIM Congress 2026, Madhya Pradesh and the UAE agreed to work towards developing a joint mechanism for selected investment projects.
The two sides also plan to organise a Madhya Pradesh-UAE investment roundtable to take discussions with potential investors forward.
Food processing featured prominently in the discussions, alongside fisheries and aquaculture, cold chains, logistics and export platforms. Other sectors identified for cooperation included green energy, pharmaceuticals, electric vehicles and smart manufacturing.
A particularly significant development for Madhya Pradesh’s agricultural and food-processing sector came from Yadav’s meeting with Lulu Group International Chairman and Managing Director Yusuff Ali M A.
The discussions focused on increasing direct procurement of agricultural produce from Madhya Pradesh for Lulu Group’s retail and distribution network.
Onions, wheat, vegetables and other agricultural products were among the commodities discussed for potential direct procurement. The two sides also explored opportunities in food processing, agricultural supply chains, warehousing, exports and expansion of the retail network.
Yadav presented Madhya Pradesh’s agricultural production capabilities and existing food-processing infrastructure to Lulu Group and invited the company to expand its investments in the state.
Direct procurement could potentially create stronger links between farmers and organised domestic and international retail markets while also generating demand for grading, sorting, packaging, processing, warehousing and temperature-controlled logistics.
Cold-chain infrastructure emerged as another important area during the Chief Minister’s Dubai engagements. In separate discussions with Arab business leaders, opportunities were highlighted across food processing, agricultural value chains, cold-chain facilities, farm logistics and long-term export partnerships.
Madhya Pradesh is positioning its central location and transport network as an advantage for food processors and logistics companies. Yadav said goods from the state could reach different parts of India within approximately 24 to 36 hours, providing a potential advantage for manufacturing and distribution operations.
The state is also looking beyond domestic distribution and seeking stronger export-oriented food-processing infrastructure. Improved warehousing, cold chains and logistics could help agricultural produce move from farms to processing facilities and subsequently to international markets with lower handling losses and better-quality retention.
During the Dubai programme, Madhya Pradesh also showcased its Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged and One District One Product (ODOP) products, highlighting the state’s potential to build international markets for locally produced and processed goods.
The UAE discussions form part of Madhya Pradesh’s broader effort to attract international investment ahead of the Global Investors Summit 2027 in Bhopal.
While no specific investment amount or individual food-processing project has yet been finalised through these discussions, the proposed joint mechanism and investment roundtable could provide a platform for converting the identified opportunities into projects.
For Madhya Pradesh’s food sector, the significance of the UAE outreach lies in connecting three areas that increasingly need to develop together—agricultural procurement, value-added processing and export-oriented cold-chain and logistics infrastructure.