Ø
India,
Rwanda Commit to Expanding Bilateral Trade and Strengthening
Business-to-Business Engagement
Ø
India
and Rwanda Identify Priority Sectors for Cooperation in Critical Minerals,
Healthcare and Digital Technologies
·
Inaugural
JTC held: The First Session of the India–Rwanda Joint
Trade Committee (JTC) was held in New Delhi on 30–31 July 2026.
·
Delegations
led by:
o India: Amit Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department
of Commerce.
o Rwanda: Mr. Virgile Rwanyagatare,
Director General, Asia, Pacific and Middle East Affairs, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation.
·
Institutional
mechanism established:
Additional Secretary Yashvir
Singh stated that the JTC establishes a permanent, structured and periodic apex
mechanism to:
o Review bilateral trade.
o Diversify the trade basket.
o Promote two-way investment.
o Address logistics and market access
issues.
·
Current
trade profile reviewed: Both
sides assessed bilateral trade in goods and services and agreed to strengthen
commercial engagement.
·
India's
major exports to Rwanda include:
o Drug formulations and biologicals.
o Two- and three-wheelers.
o Industrial and electrical machinery.
o Oil meals.
o Iron and steel products.
·
Rwanda's
major exports to India include:
o Lead.
o Spices.
o Essential oils.
o Copper.
o Precious and semi-precious stones.
o Processed agricultural products.
o Minerals.
·
Trade
diversification: Both
countries agreed to:
o Diversify the bilateral trade basket.
o Facilitate business-to-business (B2B)
engagement.
o Resolve market access issues.
·
India
identified export potential in:
o Heavy engineering goods.
o Pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
o Refined petroleum products.
o Textiles.
o Marine products.
o Plastics.
o Sports goods and toys.
o Gems and jewellery.
o Scientific instruments.
·
India's
pharmaceutical leadership:
India remains Rwanda's
largest supplier of pharmaceuticals, accounting for about 24.5% of Rwanda's
pharmaceutical imports.
·
Rwanda's
priority exports to India:
o Chillies.
o Macadamia nuts.
o French beans.
o Avocados.
o Essential oils.
o Tea and coffee.
o Other horticultural products.
o Minerals.
o Precious stones.
·
Standards
cooperation: Both
sides discussed harmonisation of standards and capacity building between the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
and the Rwanda Standards
Board.
·
India's
investment position:
Rwanda noted that India
was its second-largest foreign investor in 2025.
·
Investment
opportunities identified in:
o Mining.
o Agro-processing.
o Affordable housing.
o Information and communication technology
(ICT).
o Manufacturing.
o Healthcare.
o Tourism.
o Financial services.
·
Investment
facilitation: Both
countries designated:
o Invest India, and
o Rwanda Development Board
as
investment focal points under the JTC framework.
·
Business
promotion: The
two sides agreed to exchange calendars of:
o Trade fairs.
o Business forums.
o Buyer-Seller Meets.
·
Gateway
to Africa:
Rwanda highlighted its strategic location, providing Indian businesses access
to:
o East African Community (EAC).
o Common Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa (COMESA).
o African Continental Free Trade Area
(AfCFTA).
·
Critical
minerals: India
expressed interest in deeper cooperation on Rwanda's tin, tungsten and tantalum
resources, including collaboration between:
o Geological Survey of India (GSI), and
o Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board.
·
Pharmaceuticals
and healthcare:
o An MoU
between the health authorities of both countries is at an
advanced stage of finalisation.
o India proposed recognition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia.
o Both sides discussed expanding cooperation
in traditional medicine.
·
Other
priority sectors discussed:
o Agriculture and agro-processing
(including market access for avocados).
o Textiles and leather.
o Green mobility.
o Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
o Fintech.
o Cybersecurity.
o Renewable energy.
·
India
offered continued support through:
o Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation
(ITEC) Programme.
o Study in India initiative.
o Skill India Mission.
o Support for strengthening Rwanda's Technical and Vocational Education and
Training (TVET) ecosystem.
·
Constructive
discussions: The
meeting concluded in a cordial and constructive atmosphere.
·
Commerce
Secretary's remarks: Rajesh Agrawal
emphasised close monitoring and time-bound
implementation of the agreed outcomes.
·
Agreed
Minutes signed: The Agreed Minutes were
signed in New Delhi on 31
July 2026.
·
Next
meeting: Both
sides agreed to hold the Second
Session of the India–Rwanda Joint Trade Committee in Rwanda
after one year, on a mutually convenient date through diplomatic channels.
The
First Session of the India–Rwanda Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held in New
Delhi on 30 and 31 July 2026. The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary,
Department of Commerce, Amit Kumar, while the Rwandan delegation was led by
Director General, Asia, Pacific and Middle East Affairs, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation, Republic of Rwanda, Mr. Virgile Rwanyagatare.
Delivering
the inaugural address, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Yashvir
Singh, said the inaugural Session establishes a permanent, structured and
periodic apex mechanism to review bilateral commerce, diversify the trade
basket, expand two-way investment and address logistical impediments.
Both
sides reviewed the current state of bilateral trade in goods and services.
India's principal exports to Rwanda include drug formulations and biologicals,
two- and three-wheelers, industrial and electrical machinery, oil meals, and
iron and steel products, while Rwanda's exports to India comprise lead, spices,
essential oils, copper, precious and semi-precious stones, processed
agricultural products and minerals. Both sides agreed to make concerted efforts
to diversify the bilateral trade basket, facilitate business-to-business
engagement and address market access issues.
India
highlighted the potential to expand exports of heavy engineering goods,
pharmaceuticals and medical devices, refined petroleum products, textiles,
marine products, plastics, sports goods and toys, gems and jewellery, and
scientific instruments. It was noted that India remains Rwanda's largest source
of pharmaceutical imports, accounting for about 24.5 per cent of the country's
pharmaceutical imports. Rwanda identified chillies, macadamia, French beans,
avocados, essential oils, tea, coffee, other horticultural products, minerals
and precious stones as priority exports to India. The two sides also discussed
cooperation on harmonisation of standards, including capacity building between
the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Rwanda Standards Board.
On
investment, Rwanda noted that India is its second largest foreign investor as
of 2025 and highlighted opportunities in mining, agro-processing,
affordable housing, information and communication technology, manufacturing,
healthcare, tourism and financial services. Both sides designated Invest India
and the Rwanda Development Board as investment focal points under the JTC
framework and agreed to exchange calendars of trade fairs, business forums and
Buyer-Seller Meets. Rwanda also highlighted its strategic location as a gateway
to the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern
Africa (COMESA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), offering
Indian businesses access to a wider regional market.
The
two sides identified several priority areas for sectoral cooperation. In
critical minerals, India expressed interest in strengthening collaboration on
Rwanda's tin, tungsten and tantalum resources, including institutional
cooperation between the Geological Survey of India and the Rwanda Mines,
Petroleum and Gas Board. In pharmaceuticals and healthcare, both sides noted
that the Memorandum of Understanding between the health authorities of the two
countries is at an advanced stage of finalisation for signature. India also
proposed recognition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia and expanded cooperation in
traditional medicine.
The
discussions also covered cooperation in agriculture and agro-processing,
including market access for avocados; textiles and leather; green mobility;
digital public infrastructure; fintech and cybersecurity; and renewable energy.
India offered continued capacity building support through the Indian Technical
and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme, the Study in India initiative and
the Skill India Mission, including support for strengthening Rwanda's Technical
and Vocational Education and Training ecosystem.
The
discussions were held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere. Commerce
Secretary Rajesh Agrawal congratulated both delegations on advancing the
bilateral commercial partnership and emphasised the need for close monitoring
and time-bound implementation of the outcomes recorded in the Agreed Minutes.
The
Agreed Minutes were signed in New Delhi on 31 July 2026. Both sides agreed to
hold the Second Session of the India–Rwanda Joint Trade Committee in Rwanda
after one year on a mutually convenient date through diplomatic channels.