Relations between Tanzania and India are steadily growing, with cooperation expanding across health, water, education, defense, infrastructure, trade, and international diplomacy.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam on Sunday during celebrations to mark India’s 79th Independence anniversary, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ambassador Dr. Pindi Chana, said the partnership has reached a new level of depth and significance.
She cited recent joint efforts in defense, including Tanzania’s participation in the Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) naval exercise held in April this year, which brought together the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces, the Indian Navy, and nine partner nations to address threats such as piracy, human trafficking, arms smuggling, and drug trafficking.
Dr. Chana also underscored India’s contribution to Tanzania’s water sector, saying the country has provided over US$1.1 billion in concessional loans for major infrastructure projects.
These include expansion of water supply in Dar es Salaam and Chalinze, the Lake Victoria–Tabora pipeline, and other urban water systems.
In the health sector, she noted that India has donated ambulances to Tanzania, supplied an ICT backup power system to the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, and installed a modern radiotherapy machine at Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza to support cancer treatment.
Trade and investment ties are also strong. India is Tanzania’s second-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at US$8.6 billion in 2024/25.
It is also among the top five sources of foreign direct investment, with commitments estimated at US$4.08 billion, according to the Tanzania Investment Centre.
In education, the minister highlighted the launch of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras campus in Zanzibar last year, the first of its kind outside India, offering programs in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Ocean Engineering.
Tanzania also continues to benefit from scholarships and training opportunities under India’s ITEC and ICCR programs.
She added that the two countries are also collaborating in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, through an agreement between the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission and India’s Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership.
Dr. Chana encouraged stakeholders, including the Indian business community in Tanzania, to take advantage of the strong bilateral relationship to further expand cooperation in tourism, health, energy, and infrastructure.
“Tanzania is Africa’s prime tourism hub, with world-class attractions such as Mount Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and our great lakes,” she said.