India, Zanzibar explore new avenues for collaboration in urban planning
Zanzibar, Aug 14
The High Commissioner of India to Tanzania, Bishwadip Dey, met Mohammed Ali Abdallah, Regional Commissioner for the Urban West Region of Zanzibar, to explore new avenues for collaboration in urban planning, the Indian High Commission in Tanzania stated on Friday.
"Building Sustainable Cities Together: India and Zanzibar High Commissioner H.E. Amb. Bishwadip Dey recently met with Hon'ble Mohammed Ali Abdallah, Regional Commissioner for the Urban West Region of Zanzibar, to explore new avenues for bilateral collaboration in Urban Planning," the High Commission stated on X.
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous island region of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean.
On Thursday, the High Commissioner, along with Consul General Sh Sarjeet Kajla and a delegation from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, met with Lela Muhamed Mussa, Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar.
The delegation reviewed the progress of the IIT Madras Zanzibar campus and explored strategic pathways to further broaden educational cooperation between India and Zanzibar.
The High Commission also organised the 4th Bharat-Tanzania Mini DefExpo at Dar es Salaam on August 7. The event was inaugurated by the chief guest, Ngwaru Jumanne Maghembe, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Tanzania, in the presence of High Commissioner Dey and Lt Gen SH Othman, Chief of Staff, TPDF.
"The Defexpo underscored deepening strategic ties with active participation of TPDF, Tanzania Police, KMKM, and resident Defence Attaches (DAs) from friendly neighbouring countries," stated the High Commission.
The third Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) was held between India and Tanzania in July in Dar es Salaam.
Janesh Kain, Joint Secretary (E&SA), Ministry of External Affairs of India and Felista Rugambwa, Director, Department of Asia and Australasia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, signed the agreed minutes. The 3rd FOC took stock of the progress of bilateral relations between India and Tanzania.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The DefExpo in Dar es Salaam is particularly interesting. India is positioning itself as a reliable defence partner for African nations, and Tanzania is strategically located in the Indian Ocean. This is exactly the kind of multi-dimensional partnership we need — from urban planning to education to security.
It's refreshing to see India engaging with African nations on equal footing — not just giving aid, but building knowledge partnerships. The IIT Madras campus abroad and urban planning collaboration show real substance beyond just diplomatic pleasantries.
Zanzibar is a beautiful island with huge tourism potential but lacks infrastructure planning. Indian urban planning agencies like NIUA or even our Smart Cities Mission learnings could be genuinely useful there. Hope this isn't just another MoU that remains on paper — need concrete projects!
The 3rd Foreign Office Consultation and the DefExpo show how comprehensively India-Tanzania relations have grown. From education (IIT campus) to defence to urban development — this is a holistic partnership. Very encouraging to see our diplomatic outreach in the Global South!
While this is all good news, I wish our government would focus equally on solving urban planning challenges in our own cities first. Indian cities are choking with congestion and poor planning — before exporting expertise, we need to fix our own house. A bit of self-reflection is needed.
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