Diplomatist Special Report - Tanzania Tanzania 2018 | Page 47

India and Tanzania enjoy a vibrant business
and commercial relationship. India is a leading
trading partner of Tanzania, comprising 18
percent of Tanzania’s foreign trade.
Development Partnership
Development partnership between India and Tanzania
dates back to the 1960s, comprising of technical cooperation,
capacity building and joint projects.Tanzania is a major
beneficiary of training courses allocated under India’s
ITEC/SCAAP programmes, and under IAFS capacity
building cooperation. Starting with 24 trainees annually in
1972, it has gradually increased to about 400 trainees for
Tanzania in 2017-18. 24 scholarships for undergraduate,
post graduate and doctoral degrees were offered to Tanzanian
nationals for the academic year 2018-19 by ICCR under the
Commonwealth Scholarship/Fellowship Plan and General
Cultural Scholarship Scheme.
India has executed a number of projects under government
grants and soft loans in Tanzania. Three IT/Communication
projects have been completed: A Centre of Excellence in ICT
at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology by C-DAC in
2011; ICT Centre at the Nelson Mandela African Institute
for Science & Technology by C-DAC in 2016 and the Pan
African e-Network Project by TCIL in 2010. India set up
a radiation therapy machine at Bugando Medical Centre,
Mwanza through Panacea Technologies in July 2016. India
also extended support of US$250,000 for Kagera earthquake
relief in September 2016. In August 2017, over 1,30,000
NCERT Science & Mathematics text books for Secondary
Public Schools in Tanzania from India were handed over to
the Minister of Education, Science, Technology & Vocational
Training. A Vocational Training Centre (VTC) is currently
being established under an Indian grant in Zanzibar Islands.
Hydrography cooperation towards navigational charts of
harbours and capacity building support is another active area
of bilateral cooperation.
Under a Credit Line of US$ 178.125 million for
development of water supply projects in Dar-es-Salaam and
coastal Chalinze region, the water supply project from Upper
Ruvu River to Dar es Salaam was completed in August 2016.
This was inaugurated by the Tanzanian President Dr. John
Pombe Magufuli on 21 June 2017. Works has been ongoing
on the Chalinze and water distribution networks in Dar es
Salaam, but is facing delays. Earlier, a Credit Line of US$
36.56 million for supply of trucks and other vehicles to the
Tanzanian People’s Defence Force (TPDF) was executed in
2013-14. Another Credit Line of US$ 40 million for supply
of tractors and agricultural equipment was completed in 2013.
India has also extended a Credit Line of US$ 268.35
million for water supply projects in Tabora, Igunga and
Nzega in western Tanzania. President of Tanzania Dr. John
Magufuli and High Commissioner of India presided over the
ceremony for the commencement of the works for the water
project in July 2017. During the Prime Minister’s visit in July
2016, a Credit Line of US $92 million for rehabilitation and
improvement of water supply system in Zanzibar was signed.
The agreement became effective on 20 February 2017 and
an agency for preparing DPR has been identifi ed. LOC of
US$ 500 million for water projects in 17 towns in Tanzania
was approved in 2017. LOC Agreement is currently being
fi nalised.
Indian Community
Tanzania has about 50,000 people of Indian origin
[referred to as Asians], which are concentrated in the major
urban centres of Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Dodoma,
Morogoro, Zanzibar, and Mbeya. The vast majority are from
Gujarat, mainly from Kutch and Kathiawad regions whose
ancestors came to this region [Zanzibar and Tanganyika] in
several phases starting from early 19th century as merchants,
sailors and workers. The Indian origin community is active
in the fi eld of trade and industry in Tanzania. There are about
10,000 Indian nationals [expatriates], mainly professionals,
who live and work in Tanzania, mainly in industry and
services.
There are about twenty Indian/Asian community
organisations active in Tanzania. These groups regularly
organise Indian festivals and social events mostly with local
participation and occasionally by inviting performing artistes
from India. In January 2017, a Convention of Indian Diaspora
brought together members of the community from different
parts of Tanzania.
Source: High Commission of India, Dar es Salaam
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