Dubai-India executive travel is expanding beyond Mumbai and New Delhi, with Pune and Kolkata entering Vista’s top five destinations in H1 2026.
DUBAI: Dubai-India executive travel is showing signs of spreading beyond India’s traditional business centres, as Pune and Kolkata emerged among the leading destinations for private aviation traffic during the first half of 2026.
New Member travel data released by Dubai-based private aviation group Vista shows Mumbai remained Dubai’s busiest destination across 2025 and H1 2026, while New Delhi retained second place.
The bigger change came further down the rankings. Kolkata and Pune moved into fourth and fifth positions respectively during H1 2026, despite neither city appearing among Dubai’s top 10 destinations in 2025.
Chennai and Calicut also entered the H1 2026 top 10, pointing to a wider geographic spread in executive mobility between Dubai and India.
The changing pattern reflects growing commercial activity across specialist Indian economic centres. Pune has developed into a major base for automotive engineering, advanced manufacturing and technology, while Chennai has significant activity across automotive, electronics, renewable energy, maritime industries and technology.
Kolkata, meanwhile, provides access to industrial, infrastructure and trade networks across eastern India.
Rather than reducing the importance of Mumbai and New Delhi, Vista’s data suggests Gulf-based executives are increasingly travelling to a broader range of locations where manufacturing, infrastructure, technology and other commercial projects are concentrated.
The trend comes as economic links between the UAE and India continue to develop following the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, covering areas including trade, investment, technology, financial services, logistics and manufacturing.
Stefano Miggiano, President for South Asia and Türkiye at Vista, said business aviation was playing a role in connecting decision-makers with markets and projects as economic ties between the two countries expand.
“While Mumbai and New Delhi remain important destinations,” he said, “the more notable trend is the increasing accessibility for executives to access India’s specialist economic centers.”
Dubai’s role as a regional business base is also supporting these connections, with companies using the emirate as a platform for operations and expansion across international markets.
Vista says its global infrastructure gives members access to more than 2,400 airports across 96 per cent of the world’s countries, providing connectivity to major financial centres as well as smaller commercial destinations.
The latest Dubai-India executive travel patterns offer another indicator of how the bilateral commercial relationship is evolving, with executive mobility increasingly extending to cities associated with specialised industries and major projects.
Impact to expect
The broader travel pattern could strengthen direct commercial engagement between Dubai-based businesses and India’s regional economic hubs, potentially supporting new investment, manufacturing and technology partnerships beyond Mumbai and New Delhi.
