The Indian High Commissioner to Uganda Upender Singh Rawat has advised Ugandan agriculture exporters to stick to quality and standards in order to increase the trade volumes between the two countries. Rawat made the call last week while meeting the incoming Minister of Trade Industry and Cooperatives Sanjay Tanna.
The meeting that took place at the offices of the Ministry of Trade aimed at strengthening Uganda–India trade and investment relations, expanding economic cooperation, and identifying new opportunities for collaboration especially in industrialization, agriculture, digital transformation and skills development.
Other discussions in the meeting revolved around leveraging the on the long standing partnership between the two countries to address trade imbalances, enhance investments and support Uganda to achieve its Ten-Fold Growth Strategy.
In areas of trade, Rawat said that Uganda has significant potential to increase her exports to India especially under the Duty-Free Tariff Preference Scheme (DFTP) under which 94% of the products from Least Developed Countries are granted duty-free and preferential market access to the Indian market.
“For Ugandan exporters to sell more volumes of agricultural products, they should continue improving product quality and comply with international sanitary and phytosanitary standards to enhance competitiveness and expand market access especially for the agricultural exports,” he said.
He also informed the Minister on how the Indian community is supporting Uganda’s economic transformation through increased private sector investment, innovation and technology transfer.
During the meeting, Tanna welcomed India’s continued commitment to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation and reaffirmed the Ministry’s dedication to fostering strategic partnerships that drive trade, investment and industrial development.
He however called an open market for Uganda’s exports to India, noting that although India has offered duty-free and preferential market access, some of the Uganda’s products like Milk and cocoa are still restricted from accessing the Indian market.
“Uganda is working hard to increase production and value addition to the products like shea butter, honey, avocado among others. We need you to help us to market Uganda to the Indian investors as an investment destination,” Tanna said.
He added that the Government has already invested in infrastructure like roads, power, water, the airline, and also defense making Uganda a much safer country to invest in.
The meeting also discussed additional areas of collaboration which include human capital development, where the minister is calling for cooperating in expanding skills development through specialised training programmes and skilling hubs.
The Indian High Commissioner also reaffirmed India’s continued support in the health sector, including facilitating medical travel for Ugandan patients seeking specialised treatment in India through more efficient visa processing and strengthened healthcare cooperation.
India remains one of Uganda’s most significant trading and investment partners, resulting in a bilateral trade volume well in excess of $1.3 billion annually. The trade balance heavily favors India, with Uganda exporting primary commodities and importing higher-value manufactured goods, capital equipment, and pharmaceuticals.
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