Business, Freight News, Logistics


DP World aims to double India-Africa trade

[ April 11, 2025   //   ]

DP World and the Government of India have signed Bharat Africa Setu, an initiative aiming to double India-Africa trade and strengthen South-South cooperation.

Supported by India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of External Affairs, the initiative will connect DP World’s ports, economic zones and logistics parks across both regions. The platform will give Indian exporters access to 53 African countries and 260,000 points of sale through a fully integrated trade ecosystem.  

DP World operates 10 ports and terminals, three economic zones, and over 200 warehouses across Africa. Bharat Africa Setu will integrate physical infrastructure with value-added services such as export finance, marketing, packaging, logistics and  certification services  to create seamless trade.

Africa currently imports approximately US$430 billion worth of goods but India accounts for just 6.5% of that total. The initiative aims to boost this to 12% by 2030 .

The launch coincides with the start of construction on Bharat Mart, a 2.7 million square foot B2B and B2C marketplace in Dubai that will serve as a one-stop export platform for Indian exporters.

Phase one, spanning 1.3 million square feet is set to open by the end of 2026 in Jebel Ali Free Zone). It will feature 1,500 showrooms, and over 700,000 square feet of warehousing, light industrial units, office space, meeting facilities with dedicated space for women-led businesses from India.

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