DAR ES SALAAM: Trade between Tanzania and India has risen sharply to 8.6 billion US dollars (approximately 21.5 trillion Tanzanian shillings), up from 2.3 billion US dollars in 2020/21, marking one of the fastest expansions in Tanzania’s recent bilateral trade relations.
The figures were highlighted during high-level meetings in Dar es Salaam involving Finance Minister Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar, Vice-President Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi and India’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Bishwadip Dey.
Ambassador Omar described the expanding partnership as central to Tanzania’s National Development Vision 2050, which aims to accelerate industrialisation and structural transformation.
India ranks among Tanzania’s leading global trading partners. Tanzania exports agricultural and natural resource products including cashew nuts, pulses, cotton, cloves, tea, leather and timber, while India exports machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and other industrial goods.
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Mr Dey said the next phase of cooperation would focus on scaling up direct investment in manufacturing, including medical equipment production, transport equipment assembly and agro-processing industries.
Indian investors have already established operations in agriculture, steel manufacturing and other productive sectors in Tanzania. In addition to trade, India supports development projects in water and health infrastructure, as well as education initiatives, including a training institute in Zanzibar offering courses in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries date back to the early post-independence period, with India opening its mission in Dar es Salaam in 1961 and Tanzania establishing its mission in New Delhi in 1962. Relations gained renewed momentum following President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s official visit to India in 2023.
In parallel engagements, Tanzanian officials also met envoys from the United Kingdom, Sweden and South Korea to review development cooperation and reaffirm commitments to transparency and accountability in project implementation.
