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India dares Malawi to increase exports

India High Commissioner Subbiah Gopalakrishnan has challenged Malawi to export more produce to his country as it is prepared to buy any food item to feed its 1.4 billion population.

The envoy made the appeal in Lilongwe on Sunday evening during a reception to celebrate India’s 76th Republic Day and 60 years of diplomatic relations with Malawi.

Gopalakrishnan said Malawian farmers should take advantage of such export opportunities existing in India.

Gopalakrishnan: There is progress. | Ntchindi Meki

He said: “Besides bilateral development cooperation, we are also working with other like-minded partner countries in Malawi under trilateral cooperation in the field of food security and women empowerment.”

Gopalakrishnan said the bilateral relationship between Malawi and India has seen India contributing to skills development and capacity building of Malawians through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (Itec) programme and Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarships.

He also said there has been progress in mutual trade and investment, adding that Malawi’s exports to India have increased almost ten times over the last three to four years.

In her address, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Patricia Nangozo Kainga acknowledged India’s role in fostering growth in various sectors of the country’s economy including health, capacity building, agriculture, manufacturing and technology and innovation.

She said: “Indian businesses, which are mostly run by Malawians of Indian origin, continue to play a pivotal role in Malawi’s economic transformation. The Duty-Free Tariff Preference Scheme extended by the government of India has boosted Malawi’s exports of agricultural produce to India, creating opportunities for our farmers and businesses to thrive.”

India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Malawi. However, relations between the two countries have a history spanning over 140 years.

Last year, India President Droupadi Murmu visited Malawi and, among others, attended the Malawi-India Business Roundtable in Lilongwe which brought together government officials, representatives from trade associations, investors and small and medium enterprises for a dialogue on the best practices to facilitate trade.

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