Recently, an instance of international cooperation came into focus when the Prime Minister of India expressed his gratitude to Dr John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. This was in appreciation of the assistance provided by Tanzania in the evacuation of Indian citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic, further strengthening the bond between the two countries. The leaders also discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship between India and Tanzania, expressing satisfaction over their growing development partnership, educational linkages, trade and investment flows.
About Tanzania
Tanzania is a country steeped in history. Formed in 1964 through the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, it has since grown to be a significant player on the global stage. Dodoma is its official capital while Dar es Salaam serves as the seat of most government administrations, and is the country’s largest city and port. Positioned just below the Equator, Tanzania is flanked by Uganda, Lake Victoria, and Kenya to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Mozambique, Lake Nyasa, Malawi, and Zambia to the south and southwest. To the west, it is bordered by Lake Tanganyika, Burundi, and Rwanda. Prominent geographical features include Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, and the world’s second deepest lake, Lake Tanganyika.
India-Tanzania Relations
Playing an important role in the dynamic of India-Africa relations, Tanzania is one of the fastest-growing African countries of this decade. The two nations share traditionally close, friendly, and cooperative relations, demonstrated by India’s High Commission operating in Dar es Salaam since November 1961 and the establishment of the Consulate General of India in Zanzibar in October 1974. A notable event of recent years was the visit of four indigenously built ships of the Indian Navy to the ports at Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar in Tanzania as part of the Indian Navy’s Overseas Deployment in October 2019.
Bilateral Treaties & Agreements
India and Tanzania have entered into numerous agreements including a Joint Trade Committee in 2000, cooperation in various sectors such as Agriculture and Allied Sectors, Education, Defence, and Hydrography. In May 2018, a substantial loan agreement for USD 500 million for water supply projects across 17 towns was signed between Exim Bank and the Government of Tanzania.
Commercial and Economic Relations
India is Tanzania’s largest trading partner, forming 16% of Tanzania’s foreign trade, and one of the top five sources of investment. Notable exports from India to Tanzania include petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, motor vehicles, electrical goods, articles of iron and steel, sugar, and machinery. From Tanzania, gold ore, cashew nuts, pulses, timber, spices, ores and metal scrap, and gemstones are major exports to India.
Development Partnership
India has played a key role in Tanzania’s development through allocation of training courses under India’s Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme/Special Commonwealth African Assistance Programme (ITEC/SCAAP) and capacity building cooperation under the India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS). Projects executed under government grants and soft loans include provision of essential medicines and vaccines, setting up of a radiation therapy machine ‘Bhabhatron-II’ for cancer patients, and extension of a Credit Line for various water supply projects.
Cultural Connections
The cultural connection between India and Tanzania runs deep, fostered through establishments like the Indian Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam, which has been promoting cultural outreach since December 2010. The Indian community in Tanzania is vibrant, with more than 50,000 people of Indian origin residing there, active in fields of trade, industry and services.
Way Forward
The bond between India and Tanzania has been growing stronger since the shared commitments to anticolonialism, non-alignment and South-South Cooperation during the 1960s to 1980s. Today, the relationship has transitioned into a modern and pragmatic engagement with a diversified economic collaboration while maintaining strong political understanding and ever-increasing people to people contact in education and healthcare sectors.
