India-Africa relationship heralded a new paradigm using tech-led innovations from India to create socio-economic impact development in Africa. This has been the vision of the Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi to share Indian technology for shared prosperity (in Africa).
A successful pilot project- India-Rwanda Innovation Growth Programme, that was celebrated with awards to 11 enterprises that matched with 14 Rwandan enterprises – mostly B2B, but also included 2 B2G and 1 G2G – to match the assessed needs of the African nation with critical interventions in sectors of Agriculture production, Food Processing, Healthcare, IT & ICT, Leather and Clean Energy. Celebrations marked the successful culmination of Year 1 of the IRIGP, a first of its kind bilateral initiative launched in February 2017 during the state visit of the former Vice President of India, Mr Hamid Ansari to Kigali.
Addressing the ceremony, Mr Ernest Rwamucyo, High Commissioner of Rwanda to Indiasaid, “Testimonies from Rwandan entrepreneurs and their respective Indian counterparts are giving us confidence that the IRIGP launched one year ago is working and that companies from both sides are going towards ?perfect matches?. This has to be celebrated as the beginning of a successful long story of bold ideas, technology transfer, value addition enterprise between India and Rwanda.
The bilateral initiative is being led by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)and the National Industrial Research Agency (NIRDA), Govt. of Rwanda serving as the implementation partners.
IRIGP drew exceptional response in both countries, with over 230 applications from Indian startups, and over 300 Expression of Interests (EOIs) from Rwandan enterprises. Then, best Indian technologies were matched with appropriate Rwandan enterprises, selected by technical and business experts based on a multitude of criteria.
Mr Harkesh Mittal, Adviser, Member Secretary, National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), DST, Govt. of India said, “Having successfully demonstrated impact in India, I am confident that these Indian technologies are ready to be scaled and replicated in Rwanda in partnership with Rwandan industry. They will chart the course for a successful and long-term mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries. We see a need to (now) expand this initiative across the African continent”.
Prior to the awards ceremony, the Rwandan enterprises visited their Indian counterparts across India over a 3-day period, undergoing hands-on training and exposure to the Indian partner?s on ground operations. The teams later assembled in New Delhi for a 2-day intensive Joint Partnership Workshop, which included visits to incubators and mentorship from ecosystem experts. Earlier this year, the Indian enterprises visited their Rwandan partners as part of a weeklong Business Acceleration and Capacity Building Workshop at Kigali and forged the way forward for their respective joint ventures, these business plans were further cemented at New Delhi.
Delivering special address, Dr Arabinda Mitra, Scientific Secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, said “IRIGP addresses the key aspirations of the Indian entrepreneur to expand in global markets by addressing the socio-economic needs of Rwanda as well as creating an ecosystem which would strengthen the Rwandan industry.”
Welcoming the guests, Mr Nirankar Saxena, Deputy Secretary General, FICCI, stated “The success of the eleven matchmaked enterprises in the first year cements our belief that both sides are eager to collaborate towards the mutual goal of shared prosperity. We hope to expand to other East African nations soon.”
These Indian and Rwandan partners will now work towards the actual implementation of their joint ventures and will chart the course for a successful and long-term mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.
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