Govt for greater cooperation with African industry

NEW DELHI: Seeking greater cooperation between Indian and African business and industry, the government on Monday said the synergies of the two should be utilized in the developmental processes.

"While governments of India and African countries are already partnering in the developmental processes, business and industrial sector have to carry forward this process without whose involvement the development agenda cannot be implemented," Shashi U Tripathi, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, said here.

Addressing the inaugural session of the 3rd Industrial Service Training Programme, she said IT, healthcare, SMEs, agriculture, infrastructure and energy offered huge potential for cooperation.

Textile development, transport, machinery, tourism and water and sanitation were areas where India and African nations could work towards development and poverty reduction.

Tripathi said India and Africa share a similar past and were treading the same path of economic development. "It is our experience that we call upon you to take from. We have built several sectors of expertise and are willing to share and partner with you in these," she said.

Asserting India too had a lot to learn from Africa, the Secretary said "one of your successes has been the commitment to development through regional cooperation and making and sustaining regional blocks like ECOWAS, COMESA, and SADC."

Former CII president Subodh Bhargava said the apex industry chamber had 30 institutional arrangements in 17 countries and had developed an integrated strategy for promoting partnerships with the continent to supplement Indian government''s ''Focus Africa'' programme.