By Nidhi Verma, Shivangi Acharya and Krishn Kaushik

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India and the United Arab Emirates may announce the start of a rupee-dirham payment mechanism to settle bilateral trade during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi on Saturday, industry and government sources said.

Sources said on Friday that India would use the mechanism to pay for oil as well as other imports from the UAE, its fourth largest oil supplier in the year to March.

At present India, the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer and whose central bank last year announced a framework for settling global trade in rupees, pays for UAE oil in dollars.

Apart from creating an alternate payment mechanism, settlement in rupees would also cut India’s transaction costs by eliminating dollar conversions.

Bilateral trade between India and UAE was $84.5 billion in 2022/23.

India is keen to push similar local currency arrangements with other countries, as it looks to boost exports amid slowing global trade.

An official aware of the details said India could make its first rupee payment for UAE oil to Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC).

India’s foreign, oil and trade ministries did not respond to Reuters request for comment. ADNOC declined to comment.

Two more government sources said that the mechanism had been under discussion, and it was possible it could start soon.

One government source told Reuters the countries’ central banks were in advanced talks and “very close” to closing a deal.

The other source said it was “possible” it could be launched during Modi’s single-day visit. Modi will hold talks with Abu Dhabi President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The Reserve Bank of India will release guidance for banks on rupee trade in two to three days after resolving teething issues, another official said on Friday.

The oil-rich gulf states import as much as 80-90% of their food and want to secure their supply chains.

United Arab Emirates has pledged $2 billion to help develop a series of “food parks” in India to tackle food insecurity in South Asia and the Middle East.

India and the United Arab Emirates have mutually agreed to raise non-petroleum bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030, India’s trade minister said last month.

The UAE also acts as a trading hub for further access into markets in Africa and Europe.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma; editing by John Stonestreet)

---