Africa Business Leads

Key Events

• Business Exhibition at velodrome in IG Stadium which was inaugurated by the Trade Commissioner of the AU together with Hon. Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V.K. Singh. This is a very interesting exhibition which focuses on themes of infrastructure, agriculture, technology and innovation, power and renewable energy, and healthcare.

• Apollo Hospitals is there on the healthcare side, Jubilant on the biotechnology side.

• EAM of course reciprocated the very strong sentiments that her counterpart from South Africa had expressed. And both countries have agreed to further deepen and widen their engagement in various spheres of bilateral engagement. 

• Malawi wants technical assistance from India for the leather sector, small scale mining. Indian teachers could come to Malawi and train their teachers. They wanted Indian assistance to strengthen their SME sector.

• Foreign Minister of Democratic Republic of Congo visited India in May when certain timelines which were fixed in the meeting and both sides agreed that progress has been as per agreed timelines.

• The South Sudan Foreign Minister said that our relationship goes back to before the Independence of South Sudan. He put forward a request for Indian assistance in building a hospital in Juba. 

• More than 50 South Sudanese nationals come to India every month for treatment in Indian medical facilities. There are 3,000 students from South Sudan who are currently studying in India. There was a discussion on ONGC Videsh’s investments in oilfields in South Sudan where EAM mentioned that because of the security situation in that particular province, the work had stopped. Work could resume at an early date because ONGC Videsh is very keen that its workers go back and that oil production starts from there. This is in a place called Thar Jath. 

• South Sudan greatest strength is agriculture. The population is only 12 million people but they have huge fertile land. He said that if India could provide them assistance in the agricultural area, then this could really boost agricultural production and grain output in South Sudan. 

• There was also a discussion on possible Indian assistance in developing the hydro power resources of South Sudan.

• Indian assistance in livestock because South Sudan, has 14 million heads of cattle which is the biggest in Africa.

• Three MoUs have been proposed between the two sides. One on Foreign Office consultations and also on culture, and on the developmental partnership.

• A phosphate plant of India has been running in Tunisia, 70 per cent is owned by the Tunisian Government and 30 per cent by two Indian entities. India could consider setting up another plant to take forward cooperation in this area. 

• Africa mein hum already 9 billion dollars ki LoCs extend kar chuke hain, 6.5 billion dollars ke projects already chal rahe hain.