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Monica Cheru Correspondent

India turned 75 this year. Our Creative Editor Monica Cheru (MC) speaks to the Indian envoy to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Vijay Khanduja (A VJ), on multifaceted relations between the two countries.

MC: Congratulations to your great nation.  Please highlight some of the major milestones that the nation has achieved in this period.

AVJ: First and foremost, I would like to say that India has matured as a democracy and has emerged as a responsible country in the world.  India has also emerged as a strong country economically.

You would have seen the news of India adding 33 unicorns viz. start-ups with a valuation of US$ 1 billion in 2021.  India has also emerged as a leader in a number of sectors, notably IT, pharmaceuticals, space technology, and is self-reliant in terms of food production and a number of other sectors.

MC: The World Economic League has just tipped India to be the 3rd largest economy in the world by 2031.  What can we expect this journey to look like?

 AVJ: Prime Minister Modi has envisioned to make India a US$ 5 trillion economy by 2025.

Despite setbacks due to Covid-19, India is taking steps to make it a reality.  India is also making steady progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals even prior to the timeframe set for their achievement.

India is helping other countries in achieving these goals through partnerships and exchange of best practices.

One example is the contribution of US$1 million to Zimbabwe from the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for climate-resilient agriculture in the districts of Chiredzi and Mangwe. We have an ambitious agenda for transitioning to green energy.

India has embarked on broad skilling initiative to tap and reap the demographic dividend, to make them useful not just for India but also for the rest of the world.

MC: How has the presence of thousands of Zimbabweans of Indian descent helped shape relations between the two nations at state level?

AVJ: People of Indian origin have made Zimbabwe their home and have contributed in multifarious ways starting with the freedom struggle.

They have also contributed to the economy of Zimbabwe and earned a reputation for entrepreneurship and hard work.

This has been instrumental in maintaining people-to-people contacts and in the cultural field because of shared history and long co-existence.

Relations between our two countries are therefore seamless.

MC: Indian businesses have shown great confidence in Zimbabwe introducing large corporates, increasing local industry capacity, creating jobs, saving forex — all of which has helped strengthen Zimbabwe’s economy at a crucial time of re-building.  These include Varun Beverages and ZimGold among others.  Are there more entrepreneurs in India showing interest in investing in Zimbabwe at the same capacity or bigger, and if so in which sectors of the economy?

AVJ: In the last six months or so, two large multi-sectoral business delegations have visited Zimbabwe.

They signed 20 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in the fields of agriculture, mining, housing and urban development, smart cities, ICT etc.

There are other entrepreneurs who have visited Zimbabwe separately.

With the start of work on Deka Water Pumping Station, Hwange Thermal Power and Bulawayo Power Plant upgrades, for which Government of India has extended lines of credit in the vicinity of US$ 500 million, we will see more companies in the field of energy and infrastructure.

MC : What opportunities lie for Zimbabwean businesses in India?

AVJ : I think there are opportunities galore for growth in the businesses of the two countries.

We can leverage direct trade in the fields of diamond, gold and other minerals.

Some of these products are currently being routed through third countries Thus there is potential for more direct trade which would be beneficial to both countries.

There may be opportunities for a number of agriculture products, new minerals like lithium, granite etc.

MC: India and Zimbabwe have enjoyed great bilateral relations in areas of medicine, tech, education, culture among others.  Where do you see potential for growing together and doing more?

AVJ: We need to leverage complementarities that exist between our two countries to allow tapping into the full potential of the relationship.

Some fields where synergies could be mutually beneficial include the service industry, infrastructure, IT and sports.  There could also be collaboration in the cultural industry especially in the area of film-making.

MC : India has been a great support for Zimbabwe over the past few years — ambulances, vaccines, lines of credit etc.  What is the driving ideal behind India’s friendship?

AVJ: Friendship is for friendship’s sake.  Our two countries have had strong relationship for centuries.

Our cooperation comes without hidden agenda.  We value our relationship with Zimbabwe.

MC: India is one of the greatest tourist destinations of the world with so many diverse offerings.  Zimbabwe has its own attractions that Indian tourists can also enjoy. How can India and Zimbabwe enhance tourist travel between the two countries in the immediate, mid and long-term outlook?

AVJ: India is a very affordable tourist destination.  It offers a wide variety — with monuments, palaces, hill stations, beaches, the list is endless.

The tourism to India can also be combined with business or for allopathic, naturopathy or Ayurvedic treatments. Similarly, new and innovative ways of showcasing important tourism destinations of Zimbabwe in Indian movies will certainly give a fillip to tourist flows from India.