LONGIDO: The government of India will offer 1,000 scholarships to Tanzanian students for the 2026/27 academic year, India’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Bishwadip Dey, has announced, in a move that underscores expanding education and development cooperation between the two countries.
The scholarships will target students who have completed advanced secondary education and are seeking to pursue diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate studies in India. Beneficiaries will be selected through established procedures managed by the Indian High Commission.
The announcement was made during the inauguration of a water supply project in Longido District, funded by the Government of India at a cost of 125 million Tanzanian shillings. The project draws water from five natural springs across approximately 20 kilometres and is expected to benefit more than 2,000 residents.
Ambassador Dey said India has allocated 1.1 billion US dollars for development cooperation in Tanzania for the 2026/27 financial year, with 600 million US dollars already committed to ongoing projects.
Tanzania and India have maintained diplomatic relations since the early years of independence. India opened its diplomatic mission in Dar es Salaam in 1961, and Tanzania established its mission in New Delhi in 1962. The relationship has evolved from historical Indian Ocean trade links to structured cooperation across multiple sectors.
In recent years, high-level engagements have reinforced bilateral ties. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan paid an official visit to India in 2023, during which the two sides reaffirmed cooperation in trade, investment, health, water resources, defence and capacity building.
India is among Tanzania’s leading trading partners. According to figures highlighted by officials in recent bilateral engagements, two-way trade has grown significantly in recent years, reaching 8.6 billion US dollars, up from 2.3 billion US dollars in 2020/21.
Tanzania’s exports to India include agricultural commodities and natural resources such as cashew nuts, pulses, cotton, cloves and timber, while India exports machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and industrial products.
Indian companies have invested in sectors including agriculture, manufacturing and steel production in Tanzania, contributing to employment creation and industrial development. Both governments have indicated that future cooperation will prioritise value addition and manufacturing.
Development cooperation has become a central pillar of the relationship. India provides concessional lines of credit and grants to support infrastructure and social projects in Tanzania.
Projects supported by India span water supply, health facilities, education infrastructure and capacity-building initiatives. The Longido water project is part of this broader framework, aimed at improving access to basic services in rural areas.
Officials have also confirmed that India has extended financial assistance through concessional loans and grants to facilitate the implementation of national development projects in Tanzania.
Education and skills development remain key components of bilateral engagement. In addition to the newly announced 1,000 scholarships, Tanzanian students regularly benefit from Indian government-sponsored programmes covering technical training, professional courses and higher education.
An institute established in Zanzibar with Indian support provides training in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, alongside other professional programmes, benefiting Tanzanian and regional students.
The scholarship programme aligns with Tanzania’s broader human capital development strategy and reflects India’s longstanding policy of supporting capacity building in partner countries.
Beyond education, trade and infrastructure, Tanzania and India cooperate in health, water management, defence and security, as well as science and technology.
Indian pharmaceutical exports play a significant role in Tanzania’s healthcare supply chain, while technical cooperation programmes facilitate training for Tanzanian officials and professionals in various sectors.
As both countries seek to strengthen South-South cooperation, the expansion of scholarships and development financing signals a deepening partnership rooted in historical ties and growing economic interdependence.
