The Commerce Ministry is identifying professions that are less vulnerable to artificial intelligence (AI) to prepare for the fast-changing technological landscape and tap opportunities for India to emerge as a global leader, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has said.

The Commerce and Industry Minister said that the focus would be on sectors where AI could improve efficiency without necessarily replacing human workers, while leveraging India’s large pool of skilled talent, youthful population and traditional strengths.

“I got my Ministry to start working on what are the AI-proof professions. After all, we have to plan as a nation for so many millions of people. What are the sectors where AI can at max add to efficiency, not necessarily replace (human workforce),” the Minister said on Friday (October 23, 2026) while addressing Indian science and technology researchers and students in Germany.

When asked about the objective of the initiative, he said India could take global leadership in several areas, including handicrafts, handloom, culinary arts and tourism, leveraging its vast pool of skilled talent and youthful population.

In these sectors, traditional skills and human creativity remain important, he said.

“… our handicraft, handloom… no amount of AI can replace that. So there are many, many areas where I think we have some very special strengths which we will be focusing on, also simultaneously developing, to ensure that 1.4 billion people have a better life in the future,” he added.

Asked whether the government planned to offer incentives to these sectors, Mr. Goyal said support would be provided wherever necessary, but incentives would not be required for every activity.

“It’ll be a mix of several initiatives, some privately led, some government led, some people led, some opportunity led,” he said, adding the broader objective was to develop India’s strengths and create opportunities that would help improve the lives of its 1.4 billion people.

Mr. Goyal also talked about exploring ways to attract Indian researchers, engineers, and scientists working abroad to return and contribute to the country’s development.

“I’ve asked them (the researchers and students here) to tell us what they will need to consider (the idea) and how we can support more, young researchers or our talented engineers and scientific community to come and work and serve in India,” he said.

Mr. Goyal said his discussions had highlighted that attracting talent was not merely a question of financial incentives, but also of creating a supportive environment for research and innovation.

“And surprisingly, I realise it’s not just about money; it’s about the enabling environment, the support of the ecosystem. So I (will) talk to my colleagues in the government, with educational institutions, both in the government and private sector, with academia, with leading research institutions in India, and industry, to see how we can forge industry, academia, and researchers partnerships,” he said.

Referring to future global growth prospects, Mr. Goyal said developed countries would increasingly need to engage with emerging economies in Asia, Africa and Latin America, as these regions would drive future growth.

There are about 3,30,000 people of Indian origin in Germany, plus nearly 60-70,000 students.

“This large Indian student community, full of enthusiasm, seems to be very excited about taking their learnings back to India. Now we can see them not just looking for a job in Germany, but wanting to be back home to contribute to the India growth story, because that is where the action is,” Mr. Goyal told reporters.

The Minister was here to discuss ways with government and private sector leaders to boost trade and investment between India and Germany.

Published – October 24, 2026 12:36 pm IST

“The U.S. bilateral trade agreement first tranche has been finalised,” Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said while speaking at an event in Delhi. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal addresses a press conference at BJP Headquarters in New Delhi on October 13, 2026.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal speaks at the curtain raiser for the CII Partnership Summit 2026 in New Delhi on Thursday. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is seen.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaks during a press conference Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at the G20 Trade Ministerial in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| Photo Credit: AP

The United Arab Emirates has indicated its intent to invest an additional $25 billion in India in the near future, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday (September 28, 2026), as the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation across ports, shipbuilding, energy security, space technology and financial services.

Speaking after co-chairing the 14th India-UAE High-Level Joint Task Force on Investments with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Managing Director Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mr. Goyal said the UAE has already invested around $25 billion in India and has a longer-term objective of taking its investments in the country to $100 billion.

“The UAE believes in India and is one of our largest foreign direct investment sources of capital. They have already invested $25 billion and are the seventh-largest source of FDI. They have also given intent to invest another $25 billion in the near future,” Mr. Goyal said.

The discussions at the task force meeting covered investments, trade facilitation, taxation, logistics, energy, market access and financial cooperation, including the use of local currencies for bilateral trade.

Mr. Goyal said the mechanism was also being used to address problems faced by investors from both countries and issues relating to the implementation of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

India and the UAE have set a target of doubling bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032 after trade reached around $100 billion. The target was agreed by the two countries earlier this year.

Mr. Goyal pointed to recent investments by UAE entities as evidence of growing investor interest, including Emirates NBD’s acquisition of a majority stake in RBL Bank and International Holding Company’s investment in Sammaan Capital.

Emirates NBD completed its investment of around $2.75 billion in RBL Bank in June after securing regulatory approvals, while IHC has committed around $1 billion to acquire a controlling stake in Sammaan Capital.

A major outcome of Monday’s discussions was an agreement to establish a bilateral working group covering six areas of maritime cooperation — ship ownership, development of modern ports, ship manufacturing, repair and maintenance, ship breaking and container manufacturing.

“They are looking at ports, they are looking at shipbuilding, they are looking at greater investments in space and our startups,” Mr. Goyal said, adding that UAE investors were also interested in India’s stock markets.

Mr. Goyal said India’s port capacity had doubled over the past decade and would need to double again over the next 10 years as the economy expands.

He said UAE investors could participate in new ports as well as the expansion of existing facilities, specifically referring to the upcoming Vadhavan port in Maharashtra and port projects along India’s eastern and western coasts.

“I think there is tremendous potential for mutual cooperation between UAE and India,” he said.

Energy security was another major area discussed by the two sides. Mr. Goyal said India was working with the UAE on expanding strategic petroleum reserves in the country, with studies currently underway.

“We’ll be seeing significant ramp-up of investments from UAE in this area,” he said.

India is also exploring increased supplies of LNG and other gases from the UAE, while a study is examining the feasibility of subsea pipelines that could transport gas to India, Mr. Goyal said.

The proposals come against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical uncertainty in West Asia and pressure on global energy and shipping routes. Mr. Goyal, however, said geopolitical and strategic issues themselves were not discussed by the investment task force.

The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, fintech, food security and agri-innovation.

In space technology, India and the UAE are exploring greater investment and cooperation involving startups, including companies working on technologies related to orbital debris. In fintech, discussions included using India’s digital payments capabilities alongside artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to expand financial services cooperation.

Mr. Goyal also said greater cooperation in food processing, packaging, quality control and branding could help Indian farmers and MSMEs increase exports of food and marine products to the Gulf and other international markets.

On India’s broader export performance, the minister said merchandise exports had grown by more than 15% in the current financial year up to September 21, describing the figure as an “informal data point” ahead of the release of final official numbers next month.

India recorded exports of goods and services worth around $863 billion last year and has set a target of reaching $1 trillion this year, Mr. Goyal said.

He also highlighted the role of India’s expanding network of free-trade agreements, saying that agreements with developed economies were intended to provide Indian farmers, fishermen, MSMEs and manufacturers preferential access to larger overseas markets.

Civil aviation was not a main focus of Monday’s investment task force meeting, Mr. Goyal said, but discussions between India’s relevant ministries and the UAE continued to improve cooperation and business opportunities in the sector.

Mr. Goyal said the breadth of discussions reflected the expanding economic relationship between the two countries, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had met four times over the past year.

Published – September 29, 2026 03:00 am IST

The United Arab Emirates has indicated its intent to invest an additional $25 billion in India in the near future, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday (September 28, 2026), as the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation across ports, shipbuilding, energy security, space technology and financial services.

Speaking after co-chairing the 14th India-UAE High-Level Joint Task Force on Investments with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Managing Director Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mr. Goyal said the UAE has already invested around $25 billion in India and has a longer-term objective of taking its investments in the country to $100 billion.

“The UAE believes in India and is one of our largest foreign direct investment sources of capital. They have already invested $25 billion and are the seventh-largest source of FDI. They have also given intent to invest another $25 billion in the near future,” Mr. Goyal said.

The discussions at the task force meeting covered investments, trade facilitation, taxation, logistics, energy, market access and financial cooperation, including the use of local currencies for bilateral trade.

Mr. Goyal said the mechanism was also being used to address problems faced by investors from both countries and issues relating to the implementation of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

India and the UAE have set a target of doubling bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032 after trade reached around $100 billion. The target was agreed by the two countries earlier this year.

Mr. Goyal pointed to recent investments by UAE entities as evidence of growing investor interest, including Emirates NBD’s acquisition of a majority stake in RBL Bank and International Holding Company’s investment in Sammaan Capital.

Emirates NBD completed its investment of around $2.75 billion in RBL Bank in June after securing regulatory approvals, while IHC has committed around $1 billion to acquire a controlling stake in Sammaan Capital.

A major outcome of Monday’s discussions was an agreement to establish a bilateral working group covering six areas of maritime cooperation — ship ownership, development of modern ports, ship manufacturing, repair and maintenance, ship breaking and container manufacturing.

“They are looking at ports, they are looking at shipbuilding, they are looking at greater investments in space and our startups,” Mr. Goyal said, adding that UAE investors were also interested in India’s stock markets.

Mr. Goyal said India’s port capacity had doubled over the past decade and would need to double again over the next 10 years as the economy expands.

He said UAE investors could participate in new ports as well as the expansion of existing facilities, specifically referring to the upcoming Vadhavan port in Maharashtra and port projects along India’s eastern and western coasts.

“I think there is tremendous potential for mutual cooperation between UAE and India,” he said.

Energy security was another major area discussed by the two sides. Mr. Goyal said India was working with the UAE on expanding strategic petroleum reserves in the country, with studies currently underway.

“We’ll be seeing significant ramp-up of investments from UAE in this area,” he said.

India is also exploring increased supplies of LNG and other gases from the UAE, while a study is examining the feasibility of subsea pipelines that could transport gas to India, Mr. Goyal said.

The proposals come against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical uncertainty in West Asia and pressure on global energy and shipping routes. Mr. Goyal, however, said geopolitical and strategic issues themselves were not discussed by the investment task force.

The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, fintech, food security and agri-innovation.

In space technology, India and the UAE are exploring greater investment and cooperation involving startups, including companies working on technologies related to orbital debris. In fintech, discussions included using India’s digital payments capabilities alongside artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to expand financial services cooperation.

Mr. Goyal also said greater cooperation in food processing, packaging, quality control and branding could help Indian farmers and MSMEs increase exports of food and marine products to the Gulf and other international markets.

On India’s broader export performance, the minister said merchandise exports had grown by more than 15% in the current financial year up to September 21, describing the figure as an “informal data point” ahead of the release of final official numbers next month.

India recorded exports of goods and services worth around $863 billion last year and has set a target of reaching $1 trillion this year, Mr. Goyal said.

He also highlighted the role of India’s expanding network of free-trade agreements, saying that agreements with developed economies were intended to provide Indian farmers, fishermen, MSMEs and manufacturers preferential access to larger overseas markets.

Civil aviation was not a main focus of Monday’s investment task force meeting, Mr. Goyal said, but discussions between India’s relevant ministries and the UAE continued to improve cooperation and business opportunities in the sector.

Mr. Goyal said the breadth of discussions reflected the expanding economic relationship between the two countries, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had met four times over the past year.

Published – September 29, 2026 03:00 am IST

Union Minister Piyush Goyal in Tokyo, Japan, during a meeting with business representatives, on August 24, 2026.
| Photo Credit: X/@PiyushGoyal

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal. FIle.
| Photo Credit: ANI