India-Tanzania relations are marked by vibrant economic ties and a substantive development partnership
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan is visiting India from October 8-10, 2023 to hold bilateral talks geared towards strengthening the relationship between the two countries. 
 
She will be accompanied by several ministers and a large business delegation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday (October 7, 2023) as it announced the visit.
 
During her stay in New Delhi, President Samia Suluhu Hassan will meet with President Droupadi Murmu, who had extended an invitation for the official visit. She will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan. She will thereafter hold a detailed bilateral dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A state banquet will be hosted by President Murmu in the honor of the visiting Tanzanian President.
 
According to the MEA, President Samia Suluhu Hassan will also participate in a business and investment forum in New Delhi on October 10, 2023.
 
"A Presidential visit from Tanzania is taking place after a span of over 8 years. The upcoming visit will further invigorate and strengthen the historic and friendly relations between India and Tanzania," the MEA said.
 
STEADY GROWTH IN BILATERAL TIES 
 
India-Tanzania relations are marked by long standing friendship and 
closeness in addition to vibrant economic ties and a substantive development partnership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in July 2016 added a further impetus to the bilateral ties. 
 
The latest high-level visit from India was that of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who was in Tanzania from July 5-8, 2023. He called on President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan and President of Zanzibar Hussein Ali Mwinyi. He also met several Cabinet ministers and members of the Parliament Friendship Group. 
 
While in Tanzania, EAM Jaishankar visited completed and ongoing water project sites at Kidutani, Zanzibar and Kibamba, Dar es Salaam. He also addressed the Indian 
diaspora and the India-Tanzania business community in addition to unveiling the bust of Swami Vivekananda at SVCC centre and attending a deck reception onboard INS Trishul in Zanzibar.
 
Significantly, the first-ever Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus outside India has been established in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, IIT Madras, and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) Zanzibar-Tanzania signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for IIT Madras-Zanzibar on July 5, 2023 in the presence of EAM Jaishankar to formalize this landmark initiative.
 
According to official data available with the MEA, in 2022-23, bilateral trade between the two nations was USD 6.48 billion with Indian exports of USD 3.94 billion and Tanzania’s export reaching USD 2.54 billion. India’s major exports to Tanzania include petroleum products, engineering goods, medicine and chemicals etc. Indian imports include gold, dried leguminous vegetables, cashew nuts, soya beans, timber, coffee, spices and precious stones.
 
India was the biggest exporter of petroleum products in 2013-14 with export value of USD 2.45 billion which was reduced to USD 851.38 mn in 2021-22 but it has picked up again in 2022-23 with USD 2.23 billion.
 
India is also among the top five investment sources in Tanzania and as per the Tanzania Investment Centre, Indian investments in Tanzania stand at $3.68 billion.
 
Tanzania has a strong Indian presence with about 40,000 People of Indian Origin (PIOs) and about 15,000 Indian expatriates working as professionals, mid-level managers and semi-skilled workers.