India’s importance in Tanzania re-iterated during the celebration of India’s special day

Emmanuela Kaganda a district commissioner in Tanzania, during the 78th anniversary of the Indian independence, restated India’s importance to Tanzania not only as a trade partner but also as an investor, as seen in the Tanzanian newspaper, the Citizen.

“Apart from trade, India has become one of our top investors, who have invested $3.7billion in Tanzania,” the district commissioner stated.

She noted that the significantly increasing trade between both countries has made Tanzania India’s second-largest trading partner in Africa.

Mr. Bishwadip Dey, the Indian High Commissioner to Tanzania also re-iterated the same point, noting that the growth in trade between India and Tanzania is a result of President Samia Suluhu’s insistence on running an investment-driven economy.

Her administration has ensured that Tanzania’s relationship with India is nurtured properly. Since she visited India in October 2023, 4 high-level Tanzanian delegates have also visited India.

“I was pleased to discover that Tanzania is home to is home to one of the largest Indian diaspora in Africa, with a thriving community of non-resident Indians,” Mr. Bishwadip stated.

As reported in March, Tanzania’s trade with India is projected to surpass $7 billion in this fiscal year. As of December 2023, the two nations’ fiscal year 2023–2024 bilateral trade had reached $5.7 billion. Prior to the current fiscal year (2022–2023), trade between these two countries reached a new high of $6.4 billion.

Additionally, Mr. Manoj Verma, an official of the Indian High Commission revealed that India has become the top destination for Tanzania exports, thanks to the duty-free scheme initiated by India. The scheme ensures that over 90% of Tanzanian goods entering India are duty-free.

Thanks to the more than a dozen investors that arrived in the nation, there has been bilateral trade between the two nations in only the last year.

Furthermore, according to India’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Binaya Srikanta Pardhan, an estimated $1.2 billion (Sh3 trillion) worth of development projects are being carried out in Tanzania with Indian assistance.