Zimbabwe Vice President's Visit to Surat Expected to Boost Indo-African Trade Ties

Zimbabwe Vice President's Visit to Surat Expected to Boost Indo-African Trade Ties

Surat: Preparations are in full swing for the upcoming two-day visit of Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Honorable General (Retd.) Dr. C.G.D.N. Chiwenga GCZM, to Surat. The visit, scheduled on the invitation of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI), is being viewed as a significant step toward strengthening trade and investment opportunities between India and Zimbabwe.

On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to India, Her Excellency Mrs. Stella Nkomo, addressed entrepreneurs at Samahati in Sarasana, Surat. During her address, she highlighted that bilateral trade between India and Zimbabwe reached 130.6 million USD in 2024, indicating a strong and growing economic relationship between the two nations.

Ambassador Nkomo pointed out Zimbabwe’s vast natural resources, including gold, platinum, and lithium, which present substantial investment potential for Indian industrialists, particularly those based in Surat. She shared that the upcoming visit will include direct business meetings between Zimbabwean dignitaries and entrepreneurs from various sectors such as textiles, diamonds, agriculture, food processing, gems and jewelry, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and infrastructure.

Key areas of collaboration during the visit will include agricultural production and processing, mechanization, mining (gold, platinum, lithium), digital infrastructure, fintech, e-governance, manufacturing, and the energy sector. She emphasized that the Zimbabwean government is actively working to improve infrastructure and power supply while simplifying business processes, making the country increasingly attractive for global investors, including those from India.

SGCCI President Nikhil Madrasi remarked that the Vice President’s visit is expected to significantly strengthen bilateral business relations and open up broader global market opportunities for Surat-based entrepreneurs.

Tags: Surat SGCCI