India or the Middle East first? How Australian brands should choose

“Should we go to India or the Middle East first?” It is one of the questions Australian brands ask me most. Both regions are growing, both now have trade agreements with Australia, and both are full of young, digital, brand-curious consumers. But they reward very different brands, budgets and levels of patience.

This guide compares India and the Middle East side by side, gives you five questions to decide, and a free scorecard to use with your team.

India or the Middle East: the short answer

Choose the market where your category is already growing, your price works and you have a partner who can get you on shelf. For many Australian brands that means the UAE first, because it is quicker to test and learn. India is usually the bigger long-term prize, but it rewards brands that can commit to it city by city, for years.

There is no universal right answer. The right first market is the one where your brand’s promise means the most to a specific group of people you can actually reach.

India vs the Middle East at a glance

	India	Middle East (Gulf)
Trade access for Australian brands	Australia–India ECTA, in force since 29 December 2022	Australia–UAE CEPA, in force since 1 October 2025
Scale	The world’s most populous country since 2023 (United Nations)	Six Gulf (GCC) countries with smaller populations and high spending power
Who you sell to	A value-conscious, aspirational middle class across many regions and languages	Nationals plus large expatriate communities: around nine in ten UAE residents are expatriates
Positioning that tends to work	“Worth it”: value and aspiration together	Trust, quality and origin, often at a premium
Language	22 scheduled languages; English for many urban buyers	Arabic and English, built in Arabic rather than translated
Moments that matter	Diwali and regional festivals	Ramadan and Eid
How people buy	Mobile-first, instant payments (UPI), marketplaces and neighbourhood kirana stores	Mobile, social and e-commerce, plus malls
Commitment needed	Long-term: local partners, price-pack work, city-by-city rollout	Lighter to start in the UAE; Saudi Arabia rewards deeper local commitment

For the detail on each market, read my guides to brand strategy for India and brand strategy for the Middle East.

Choose India first if…

• Your category is already growing in Indian metros such as Mumbai, Delhi NCR or Bengaluru.
• You can offer real value at Indian price points, through pack sizes, pricing or a simpler range.
• You have, or can find, an importer, retailer or marketplace partner with genuine reach.
• You can invest for two to three years before expecting the market to pay back.
• Your brand story fits family, aspiration and trust, which shape so many Indian purchases.

Choose the Middle East first if…

• Your brand has a premium, quality or Australian-origin story that earns trust.
• You want a faster test with fewer cities, and the UAE as a familiar, English-friendly hub.
• Your product suits gifting, hospitality and family occasions, especially around Ramadan and Eid.
• You can make the brand work in Arabic and respect local values in imagery and claims.
• You plan to grow into Saudi Arabia later, the region’s bigger prize, with a deeper local commitment.

Five questions to decide

Answer these honestly for each market before you spend a dollar on media:

1. Demand: where is your category already growing, and where are people already paying for something like it?
2. Price: can your price work there without destroying your margin or your brand?
3. Partners: who will actually get your product to people, and how strong are they?
4. Patience: how long can you invest before the market pays back?
5. Story: does your brand’s promise mean something to a specific audience there, or does it only make sense at home?

Score both markets: free scorecard

Score each market from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong) on the five questions, add up the totals, then sense-check the winner with your partners and your gut. I’ve put it all on one page you can print or fill in with your team.

If the totals are close, choose the market where your partner score is higher. In my experience, the right partner beats the right market on paper.

Can you do both?

Yes, but rarely at the same time. A common sequence is to start in the UAE, learn fast, then expand into Saudi Arabia or India once the proposition is proven. The UAE is home to large communities from India and South Asia, so it can be a useful place to test how your brand lands with Indian audiences before you commit to India itself.

Whatever you choose, keep the core of your brand the same and adapt how it shows up. Two half-funded launches usually do worse than one well-funded one.

Common mistakes

• Treating either region as one market. India and the Gulf are both many markets, by city, language and income.
• Translating the Australian campaign. Find the local insight first, then build the work.
• Choosing on size alone. The biggest market is not the best first market if you cannot reach or serve it well.
• Underfunding the launch. Budget for partners, local research and a year of brand building, not just a launch burst.
• Ignoring the calendar. Launching just before Ramadan or after Diwali can cost you a season.

Frequently asked questions

Should an Australian brand expand to India or the Middle East first?

It depends on your category, price and partners. Many brands start in the UAE because it is faster to test, then expand to Saudi Arabia or India. India is often the bigger long-term opportunity but needs a longer commitment.

Is it easier to enter the UAE or India?

For many Australian brands the UAE is easier to start in: fewer cities, English widely used and the Australia–UAE CEPA in force since October 2025. India offers far greater scale but needs city-by-city planning and sharper price positioning.

What trade agreements help Australian brands in India and the Middle East?

The Australia–India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement has been in force since 29 December 2022. The Australia–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement came into force on 1 October 2025.

Do I need a different brand strategy for each market?

Keep the brand’s core the same, but build a local positioning, message and channel plan for each market. What customers value and how they buy differs a lot between India and the Gulf.

Sources: Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia–India ECTA and Australia–UAE CEPA); United Nations population data; sources as listed in the India and Middle East guides. The scoring exercise and recommendations are the author’s own.