By Jimmy Chazama:
The Government of India has said Malawi must add value to its exports if trade volumes between the two countries are to grow.
Speaking at events marking India 80th Independence Day celebrations in Lilongwe City on Saturday, Indian High Commissioner to Malawi Amararam Gujar said Malawi’s reliance on raw exports was limiting revenue it collects from the same.
“Malawi just exported more than 75 million dollars’ worth of pigeon peas to India in 2024-2025. It was the second largest revenue earner after tobacco. But if it is exported in processed form, it will fetch higher value,” Gujar said.
He said India assisted Malawi in setting up dual-processing plants in Luchenza Municipality and Liwonde [Machinga District], albeit they have not started operating.
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“I had a very great discussion with Admarc [Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation], which is managing these two dal plants. Soon, you will see them operationalising [the plants]. I assured them that whatever possible help they may need, we are ready to help [them],” he said.
Gujar said trade slowed after Covid, with Malawi’s foreign exchange crisis also affecting export volumes.
“Certainly, Malawi is exporting pigeon peas, which is the highest quantity. That area has a lot of potential and we want to strengthen it,” he said.
The envoy said India’s support went beyond trade.
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“India has been offering 20 scholarship slots to Malawian students who aspire to have higher studies in India. This year, we increased the number from 20 to 30,” he said.
He said, in other areas of partnership, India donated 1,000 metric tonnes of rice during last year’s food crisis and that the foreign government had also set up a permanent artificial limb centre at Zomba Central Hospital in Zomba City.
“We have donated a state‑of‑the‑art cancer treatment machine to Kamuzu Central Hospital [in Lilongwe City, too]. These are just examples of things we have done in the last one year,” Gujar said.
He said the partnership between the two countries was growing stronger “day by day”.
Meanwhile, Indian Muslim Community of Malawi Chairperson Imtiazbeg Mirza has said the Indian community is thriving in Malawi, attributing the feat to the government’s support.
“We are enjoying our life here and progressing very fast. We are here not only for business but also for humanity [purposes; that is] to look after the local community,” Mirza said.
The Independence Day event was attended by about 500 people and included cultural performances, competitions and the presentation of awards.
