Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a leading international financial hub in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, has undertaken a successful mission to the state of Maharashtra, India. The delegation was led by Essa Kazim, governor of DIFC, and Arif Amiri, chief executive of the DIFC Authority.
During the visit, high-level strategic meetings took place in Mumbai and the wider Maharashtra region, highlighting DIFC as a leading global financial center and the ideal base for Indian firms looking to expand their operations across the MEASA region. The meetings were set up to discuss DIFC’s strategic plans and the center’s roadmap for growth, while exploring mutually beneficial partnerships with Indian firms and financial institutions. In addition, DIFC partnered with integrated financial house Phillip Capital to engage key business and industry leaders from across a variety of sectors including infrastructure development, construction, logistics, automotive, manufacturing, technology, oil and gas, and hospitality.
As part of the visit, DIFC and the government of Maharashtra signed an MoU. The agreement entails plans for both entities to mutually support fintech startups based in their respective markets, whilst facilitating the development of their business ecosystems through collaboration and the sharing of resources.
DIFC CEO Amiri said: “Our partnership with the government of Maharashtra reinforces the robust and collaborative business relationship between Dubai and India, as well as DIFC’s strategic goal to drive the future of finance through an enabling business environment. Indian fintechs are proving to be pioneers in the field, presenting an exciting prospect for the region to be a global leader in the space. We are dedicated to nurturing this growth through strategic international partnerships and knowledge-sharing with like-minded public organizations such as the government of Maharashtra. Together we will continue to facilitate opportunities for firms to innovate within the MEASA’s burgeoning fintech industry.”
S.V.R. Srinivas, principal secretary directorate of information technology, government of Maharashtra, said: “At present, DIFC is home to more than 100 Indian financial firms, banks, sector specialists and consultancies, and we are confident that this partnership will bring further opportunities for ongoing collaboration within the realms of financial technology and innovation.”
