Lilongwe (Malawi): President Droupadi Murmu Thursday said that India and Malawi can come together to find synergy in multiple sectors as there is immense scope for enhancing cooperation between them in areas like agriculture, mining, energy and tourism.
Murmu, who arrived here earlier in the day on the final leg of her three-nation visit to Africa, said it was a great pleasure for her to be the first Indian President to visit the “Warm Heart of Africa”.
“Malawi is a country rich in natural reserves and fertile agricultural land…India has a large consumer base with increasing demand for energy, minerals and food for its large population. Both our countries can come together to find synergy in many areas,” Murmu said while addressing the India-Malawi Business Meet here.
She said there is an immense scope for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture, mining, energy, tourism etc.
She was happy to note that the bilateral trade between India and Malawi has been growing. India is currently fourth largest trading partner of Malawi. India is also one of the largest investors in Malawi, with over USD 500 million worth of investments in various sectors.
The President said that India-Malawi partnership is not confined to governments alone, as Africa has emerged as an important trade and investment destination.
“India’s private sector is at the forefront of driving this impetus. There are growing investments by Indian companies, both multinational and SMEs, in Africa in a range of sectors,” she said, pointing out areas such as telecommunication, hydrocarbon exploration, agriculture, light manufacturing, IT and IT education, water treatment, petroleum refining and retail, chemicals, coal, automobiles, and textiles, among others.
Noting that India was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with Malawi soon after its independence in 1964 and the two countries share cordial and friendly relations, she said commercial ties between the two countries are “historic”. However, the people-to-people ties between them span over 140 years, she added.
The President also noted that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Malawi.
She said India has set a goal of becoming ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. “To achieve that goal, over the last few years, India has taken various steps including a series of administrative reforms to improve the business sentiment as well as ‘Ease of Doing Business’,” she said.
The President expressed confidence that the discussion held at the India-Malawi Business Meet would be a significant milestone in developing commercial relations between the two countries.
During her visit, she will hold bilateral talks with Malawi’s top leadership.
Upon her arrival at the Kamuzu International Airport here earlier in the day, she was received by Vice President Michael Usi.
She was accorded a ceremonial welcome and was warmly greeted by children. A traditional cultural performance was also presented before the President at the airport.
“In the final leg of her three-nation visit, President Droupadi Murmu landed at the Kamuzu International Airport, Lilongwe, Malawi,” her office said in a post on X.
Murmu is visiting Malawi from October 17-19 at the invitation of the Malawian President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.
The President arrived here after successful visits to Algeria and Mauritania, where she held talks with her respective counterparts to enhance bilateral ties.
PTI