Mozambique exported goods worth US$780 million to India in 2019 and imported the equivalent of US$452 million in the same period, thus having a substantial trade surplus in relations with the Asian country.
Data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) said that Mozambique had recorded trade deficits with all its main trading partners in recent years, with the exception of India.
In an interview with “Notícias”, the Indian High Commission in Mozambique, Rajeev Kumar said that total investment by his country was currently estimated at over US$7.5 million, which represented 25 percent of Indian funding in Africa.
“Investments by ICVL, JSW and TATA Steel in the coal sector are creating jobs, bringing foreign exchange through exports and helping growth in Mozambique. To these is added Godrej’s investment, through Weave Mozambique Lda, which has already created over 3,000 jobs for Mozambicans,” he said.
The diplomat, who is at the end of his mission in Mozambique, also noted that in the cultural area there is an increasing exchange between the two countries, pointing as an example the recent organisation of the first festival in India “RONGA RANG” and the displacement of a Mozambican group to New Delhi to participate in the Surajkund Mela festival.
“We have been able to motivate Mozambicans to join the ICCR grants for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in India and the ITEC short-term capacity building programme,” he said.
According to him, last year 60 Mozambican students went to India for training in various courses taught by ITEC ranging in length from one to two months.
“We have excellent bilateral cooperation, our partnership covers the areas of energy, roads, computer park, vocational training, drinking water, health, education, defence, just to name a few examples,” he said.
